Last Updated: Feb 2020

According to the 2018 National Heroin Threat Assessment, authored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), heroin remains available in New England.  Heroin frequently includes fentanyl which is 50-100 times more potent than heroin and which has increasingly contributed to opioid fatalities. This is a change from 2015 when most heroin use was due in part to prescription opioid abusers transitioning to heroin because of the relative affordability and accessibility of heroin, versus prescription opioids.   Heroin is transported to and around Vermont through various modes of public and private transportation.

Due to the increased availability of heroin within Vermont, law enforcement has increased efforts to combat the threat resulting in increased arrests for possession, delivery and trafficking heroin.

State, Local and County Law Enforcement of Vermont

Vermont Intelligence Center

The Vermont Center for Justice Research

Vermont Forensic Laboratory

Department of Health-Emergency Medical Services, Vermont Hospitals, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner's Office

Vermont law enforcement continues to combat this issue through investigations, arrests and forwarding individuals for prosecution in conjunction with court coordinated treatment efforts and community education.

Vermont law enforcement is actively combining enforcement, treatment and education as an overall strategy.

These statistics were drawn from the Vermont Superior Court Adjudication Database and provided by the Vermont Center for Justice Research

Please note that this graph only represents those charges filed in state court and not those brought against individuals being prosecuted through Vermont's federal court system.