BURLINGTON — Vermont health officials are concerned about the rising number of overdose deaths involving methamphetamine, a drug they say has been seen mixed with opioids.
Meth has figured in 28 Vermonter deaths from 2017 to this March, but each year brought no more than a handful — until last year. State health department data shows that last year, 10 fatal overdoses involved the stimulant drug; during the first quarter of this year alone, it played a part in eight deaths.
And of the eight meth-linked deaths, six apparently showed meth being mixed with opioids, such as the deadly fentanyl.
“Fatal opioid overdoses involving methamphetamine may be increasing,” the Vermont Department of Health said in a special report released in June.
The report noted that the presence in overdose deaths of cocaine, another stimulant, has been well documented. But that meth’s involvement in opioid overdoses had been “relatively rare in Vermont.”
It’s not clear right now, according to the report, if people are intentionally using both opioids and meth — or if users don’t know about the drug mix.
The health department said it plans to closely monitor these overdose events.
“The trends in the number of deaths and accidental overdoses is of great concern,” department spokesman Ben Truman said. “Every single death related to drugs is tragic. Each one is a person who leaves behind family, friends and loved ones, and a community.”
Last year, 157 Vermonters died of an accidental opioid overdose, the most since at least since 2010. Fentanyl was involved in 88 percent of the deaths.
Health officials have tied the latest spike in opioid deaths to the intense social isolation, anxiety and depression brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as changes in drug use and distribution practices.
The health department said it is working to help expand services for people with substance use disorder, including those offered by community organizations and local hospitals.
Truman said the state also offers support and referral to people who are struggling with substance use disorder as well as their loved ones. Visit VTHelplink.org or call 802-565-LINK (5465) to access the free and confidential service.