Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for graduate medical education at the Larner College of Medicine

(MAY 8, 2024) Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for graduate medical education at the Larner College of Medicine, commented to Seven Days on the statistic that overdose deaths have topped 200 in Vermont for the third straight year.

At least 231 people died from drug overdoses in Vermont last year, according to preliminary state data released on Wednesday. The tally is a 5 percent drop from the 244 deaths that Vermont recorded in 2022. And though it may tick up once the state reviews another 15 pending death certificates, it represents a plateau after two years of staggering increases.

In a statement, Levine said the “bending of the curve” shows that harm-reduction efforts are working. “While the decrease is not statistically large, it is significant where it matters most—fewer families have lost a loved one to opioids,” he said. “The progress we have made is encouraging. It means we are on the right track, but we are far from out of the woods.”