BURLINGTON — Vermont is set to receive $9.5 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve the tracking and prevention of opioid related overdoses in Vermont.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., announced the grant funding alongside Mark Levine, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, who will oversee the funds’ disbursement, on Tuesday morning. The funds will be used over a three-year period.
Last year, the state saw 110 opioid overdose-related deaths — up two from the year before. The grant will allow the state to conduct a “thorough review” of 2018’s drug-related fatalities to see if the people who died had previous interactions with state systems, in order to determine what programs need more education or focus.
Levine noted Vermont’s fatality numbers have reached a plateau, which he said compares better than the challenges other states are facing with rising rates.
“But there’s a plethora of other outcome measures,” Levine said. “We can’t just focus on the deaths.”
He said the CDC measures success for grants like this with a “very exhaustive evaluative scheme” that includes, for example, how many opioid prescriptions are being written, how many people need treatment, and how many of those people are able to access treatment.
Leahy said the state’s efforts and focus on the opioid crisis made the CDC more inclined to give a large grant.
“They see success, and they want to be able to point to the success of Vermont for other states,” he said.
Levine noted that the state has seen a “30ish” percent decrease in the number of opioid prescriptions written each year, as well as a number of other measures to indicate Vermont is starting to get a handle on the crisis. He added results often take time.
Part of the CDC funding is community action grants for organizations to address the crisis locally. That money is going to Bennington, Rutland, Windham and Windsor counties.
“We know what works, but we must make sure that knowledge is going to our smallest towns and villages,” Leahy said.
He also highlighted places outside of hospitals and rehab centers that are going to start seeing opioid prevention efforts — places like schools, prisons, and libraries.
“Now, we’re not going to get rid of all these deadly drugs,” he said. “But we do have to make sure our communities are safe.”
“This grant allows for an incredible amount of versatility in how we allocate funds,” Levine said, “and for a variety of activities, and heterogeneity of things that we can do.”
