[FrugalYankee]

Anyone who lives here knows about it since there is a drug bust somewhere in the state every couple of weeks. But you won't see reports on it in the NYT (don't want to tarnish that "quaint" image.

Not too much has changed since this article in the BFP which fingers doctors as being all too willing to prescribe narcotics for pain relief.

• The state ranks second in the country, behind only Maine, in per-capita admissions for treatment for addiction to prescription opiates. The number of Vermonters seeking treatment for opiate addiction in 2010 was up 21 percent from 2008 and up 300 percent from 2005.

• According to federal Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, Vermont led the nation in 2010 in per-capita consumption of buprenorphine, the drug most often used to treat opiate abuse.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/a...ic-proportions

Vermont was first in the nation for teen use of marijuana and cocaine in 2008.http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/defa..._-_vermont.pdf

The real problems these days are heroin and prescription narcotics.

Chief: Rutland, Vt., drug use 'mind boggling' - Boston.com

Do an internet search on "vermont drug bust" and you'll see it's all over the state: Bennington, Burlington, Chester, Rutland, Springfield, and maybe coming soon to a town near you. The time has come to stop trying to arrest everyone who is addicted. These people need serious help if they want to berak free of the drugs. I think we need more detox centers staffed by professionals, well away from communities (where the addicts will break into vehciles and businesses given half a chance) and accessible even to those without means.

[Chadd1014]

Mean while the Howard Center wants to place a Methadone Clinic a few hundred feet from the high school.
Sixty Minutes did a story on Methadone and apparently when you take your free Methadone and chase it with a Xanax you have a high that duplicates heroin itself, all these addicts know this. In my opinion you make the choice to try heroin. I have a nephew 23 years old and he's a heroin addict. He was rushed to the hospital twice for OD back in 2011 and still hasn't stopped. A family member passed and left him $75,000 and it was gone up his arm in three months.


"We would hope the Howard Center and our town will come together and find a more appropriate location. South Burlington has said, 'Yes, we'll take you. We want to help support,' but there are so many better locations in South Burlington that wouldn't have these kinds of traffic, parking and safety issues," said Linda Norris, a protest organizer.
The protest lasted until 9 a.m.
There are also other concerns over the clinic's location. It would sit a few hundred feet away from South Burlington High School, Tuttle Middle School and a senior citizen center. This makes the protesters worried over pedestrian safety if more traffic comes to the area

Read more: Methadone clinic protesters sound off | Vermont - WPTZ Home

[MRVphotog]

Vermont's drug problems is a secret only to those you do not read a newspaper, watch the nightly news or use the internet to be aware of the states issues.

It's been widely reported in the Vermont news media for years. How is that a secret? Here is a link to an article from 2008.
Vermont ranks near top in per-capita drug use *:*Rutland Herald Online

What a shock...New Hampshire has a drug problem
http://stateimpact.npr.org/new-hamps...oring-program/

maine too..
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/01/0...on-drug-abuse/

Every state has a drug problem, Vermont's has been widely reported for years. It should not be a secret to anyone. In my view law enforcement is working hard to combat this issue. Limited financial resources is one obstacle from the fed down to the local agencies.

I do agree with your comment that we need to focus more on prevention and rehab then just arresting them. I guess it's alot easier to say than do.

[Chadd1014]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Vermont's drug problems is a secret only to those you do not read a newspaper, watch the nightly news or use the internet to be aware of the states issues.

It's been widely reported in the Vermont news media for years. How is that a secret? Here is a link to an article from 2008.
Vermont ranks near top in per-capita drug use *:*Rutland Herald Online

Per-Capita is the key in this state. We usually rank right at the top of most things as they are per-capita scored and we have far less than a million people in the state as you know.

But you are correct I've watched this for years and the latest and scariest is the meth cooking that has arrived, when that gets a foothold lookout. cheap, easily made and highly addictive.

[FrugalYankee]

MRV it is not a secret to those of us who live here. I do not think that many people who live in Boston or NYC read the Rutland Herald or the Bangor Daily News. The NYT and the "Glob" just keep pounding out the "gee what a quaint place to have a wedding" or write articles about yuppies who buy an old farmhouse and then put in $30 k worth of solar panels so they can look down their noses at the locals.

I agree that NH has a similar drug problem. What NH does NOT have is the generous welfare and freebie benefits system that attracts druggies up here to live free and cultivate their drug habits.

[DauntlessDan]

I think we need more detox centers staffed by professionals, well away from communities

I agree, like maybe in the middle of a desert somewhere. That way they can't terrorize anyone while they're detoxing

The time has come to stop trying to arrest everyone who is addicted. These people need serious help if they want to berak free of the drugs.

No one gets arrested because they are addicted. They get arrested for things like possession, manufacture, sale and other crimes related to their habit like robbery, burglary, assault. The key phrase above is "if they WANT to break free of their addiction" Not everyone wants to.You can offer detox from drugs in lieu of prison time. However if the person relapses time and again, what do you do? I work in an institution where we get individuals coming in time and again for detox from alcohol and drugs. We even put them through programs to help them. But then they go back on the street and..BINGO.. using again!! I say keep the possession, sale and manufacture illegal but keep offering the programs in lieu of prison time BUT have a limit on how many times you are willing to put someone through the program (especially at the public's expense). Ultimately the person HAS to want to quit and stay clean to make it work.

[thunderkat59]

We came from the Philly area. My Wife worked in the Rutland School School district, but a few districts in PA before VT.
After a few months in the district, and dealing with the parents and problems that she did, she was shocked at how big heroin problem was. Had never seen anything like it before or after.

[Cthulhuu]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

We came from the Philly area. My Wife worked in the Rutland School School district, but a few districts in PA before VT.
After a few months in the district, and dealing with the parents and problems that she did, she was shocked at how big heroin problem was. Had never seen anything like it before or after.

Is this not just an another example of negativity about Vermont? Is this just a sign of the over all drug problem in the country? One would not think Vermont would be immune? I ask what state can one point out that has no drug problem? What state is just like real small town america Mayberry? It is almost like there is some kind of campaign to show Vermont in a bad light.

[Hopes]

Vermont's drug problem isn't the secret. The secret is the cause. Vermonters like to blame everything on non-Vermonters. Meanwhile, it does NOT matter how the drugs get there. Finger pointing and blame shifting contribute to why Vermont ranks second in the country.

The source of the problem is a population that is willing to try hard drugs. The rest of the states in the nation have drugs coming into their state from other places. Yet their populations aren't as willing to buy the drugs. Ask yourselves, "Why are Vermonters more willing to try hard drugs?" and you'll begin to find a way to improve Vermont's national ranking.

Are Vermont schools and parents not educating their children about the dangers of drugs? Are parents and society portraying lack of personal accountability by blaming outsiders? I don't know. You live there. You have a better chance of finding the reason.

But I assure you that it isn't the outsiders and the drug dealers. The problem is lack of resistance compared to populations throughout the rest of the country. Nobody is forcing Vermonters to use drugs.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Cthulhuu

Is this not just an another example of negativity about Vermont? Is this just a sign of the over all drug problem in the country? One would not think Vermont would be immune? I ask what state can one point out that has no drug problem? What state is just like real small town america Mayberry? It is almost like there is some kind of campaign to show Vermont in a bad light.

This mentality is exactly what I mean. The bad light is this type of attitude. Sticking your head in the sand makes it worse. Stop feeling the need to defend your state. The problem will only get worse if you just say it's a sign of the times, every state has this problem. Wake up! Your state ranks SECOND!