BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont health officials say new data indicates opioid overdose death rates declined last year for the first time since 2019.
According to the Department of Health’s newly released Annual Fatal Overdose Report, opioid-related overdoses resulted in the death of 231 Vermonters in 2023, a 5% drop from 2022 when 244 Vermonters died.
While officials say that new programs and harm reduction efforts are helping bend the curve, there’s still more to do. “The progress we have made is encouraging. It means we are on the right track, but we are far from out of the woods,” Vt. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said in a statement. “The opioid crisis is fraught with challenges, including a heinous industry intent on finding new ways to trap people into the dangerous world of substance use and addiction.”
Fentanyl continues to be the number one substance involved in opioid-related deaths, accounting for 95% of opioid fatalities in 2023. Xylazine was involved in 32% of fatal overdoses in 2023, up from 28% in 2022. Cocaine involvement in deaths significantly increased in 2023 — from 48% to 61% — and remains the second most common drug involved in fatal overdoses.
Officials say the report’s findings highlight the life-and-death importance of knowing what to do in the event of an overdose, especially if non-opioid drugs like Xylazine are involved,