Editor's note: This is the first in an occasional series of stories of one person's battle against heroin addiction. At 27 years old, Colin MacNeil is starting his life over - again. Addicted to cocaine by the age of 20 and hooked on heroin and opiate-based painkillers by the age of 23, MacNeil was a graduate of six inpatient drug treatment programs by the time he arrived at the Serenity House in Wallingford earlier this month. He knows what he's up against and he'll be the first to say that there are no guarantees in a fight that's as personal as it is pharmaceutical in nature. [continues 1202 words]
A drug designed to save the lives of opiate users who overdose will soon be available to a broader population of users and the general public in Rutland. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist medication that revives people who overdose on drugs such as heroin or prescription painkillers, has been available to addicts since November at needle exchange sites in Burlington and White River Junction. But in a pilot program designed to increase the drug's availability, state Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen said the West Ridge Center for Addiction Recovery in Rutland would be the first of the state's seven treatment hubs to dispense the lifesaving drug to a broader number of addicts, their family members and anyone else who may need Naloxone. [continues 527 words]
Vermont's court diversion programs are watching for the impact of a new law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. Put into effect at the start of this month, the new law makes possessing an ounce or less of marijuana or up to five grams of hashish a civil rather than criminal offense. But the new law also includes big incentives for violators under age 21 to enroll in the state's court diversion programs -- a process usually used to divert those accused of minor crimes into a system that addresses offenses through community restoration efforts and other redemptive activities in exchange for purging the criminal charge. [continues 548 words]
The Rutland Town Select Board has decided not to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in town. Following a trend set by a number of other communities in Rutland County, Select Board members recently lent their perspectives to a debate taking place in towns around the state. "Mainly because our neighboring communities have been talking about it, I thought it should get a thorough airing," Selectman James Hall said. No specific request regarding a marijuana dispensary has been submitted or discussed with the town. Some communities, including Rutland and Fair Haven, are working toward, or have already implemented, bans on the opening of dispensaries that would legally provide marijuana to those prescribed the drug. [continues 519 words]
Vermont ranked highest nationwide for marijuana use in a new survey released Thursday by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The survey, conducted in 2006 and 2007, compares drug use by age and by type across all 50 states. While Vermont doesn't have the highest level of drug use -- that distinction goes to Rhode Island where 12.5 percent of the populace reported illicit drug use in the past month -- the Green Mountain State was cited in the report for having the highest incidence rate of marijuana use among people aged 12 and older. [continues 310 words]
State legislators have included $50,000 in its major spending bill to help Rutland with its drug problem. But whether the appropriation weathers what promises to be a tight budget year remains to be seen. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved an appropriation bill containing $50,000 explicitly for the city. The appropriation is intended to pay for overtime in drug interdiction cases, according to the bill. "I think everyone has read the news stories and Sen. (Patrick) Leahy's visit attracted a lot of attention," Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rep. Martha Heath, D-Westford, said Sunday when asked why the city was singled out. "The appropriation was supported by the whole committee." [continues 353 words]
Leahy, Specter Praise Local Involvement The two most prominent members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee picked up tips Monday for dealing with drugs and violence on a national level from examples being set in Rutland and Vermont. Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., convened a rare meeting of the powerful committee outside Washington on Monday. Gathered before an audience of roughly 200 people who stood when the seating ran out inside the Franklin Center, the senators and seven witnesses tried to get at the heart of a national problem by looking at what has been taking place in Rutland and other communities in Vermont. [continues 1329 words]
Law enforcement officers from three agencies in Rutland County, along with aerial support from the Vermont National Guard, conducted a roving war on drugs in the city Friday afternoon. Officers from Rutland police, Vermont State Police and the Rutland County Sheriff's Department patrolled the streets pulling over more than 100 motorists whose vehicles were subjected to cursory searches for illegal drugs. Police were looking for any plainly evident signs of drug trafficking within the vehicles. The stops appeared to be taking place all over the city, according to residents who noted the high volume of police activity on the streets. [continues 217 words]
A committee of residents and professionals has worked for two years on strategies to win a 3-year-old drug war in Rutland. On Friday, members of the group dubbed the "Rutland Heroin Committee" paused to take stock of how far they've come and what tasks still lie ahead. Made up of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, alcohol and drug counselors, youth workers, mental health officials, case workers and others, the group has toiled to coordinate services, bolster programs and tailor new services for drug prevention, enforcement, treatment and recovery. [continues 524 words]
Sometimes it takes a run-in with the law for people with drug problems to realize they need help. A new drug screening program at Rutland District Court could make the first step toward substance abuse recovery easier, court officials said. For two weeks, people coming to court on Monday mornings have been invited to watch a 20-minute tape on the causes and consequences of drug abuse. Afterward, viewers are told they can speak with someone across the hall if they have a drug problem they would like to kick. [continues 549 words]
No one wanted Tiffany Loso to go to jail. But that's just where the 22-year-old mother of three went Friday when lawyers and the judge debating her case in Rutland District Court decided it was the only safe place to send her. "This is a very difficult set of circumstances and I'm not yelling for her to be in jail," Assistant State's Attorney Peter R. Neary said. "My concern is we know this person is an addict. We know what her problem is and if we take her and put her back in the swamp or somewhere else, we're just inviting a relapse, inviting her to go back to her bad ways." [continues 617 words]
