Here's Why Vermont Has the Highest Rate of Illicit Drug Use in America
By Pamela Engel
The Northeastern state ranked high for almost every type of drug, from marijuana to cocaine.
This trend is a consequence of factors including weather, politics,
and proximity to big cities, according to Barbara Cimaglio, the Vermont
Department of Health's deputy commissioner for alcohol and drug abuse
programs.
"You have everything from the colder climate, which
tends to be a reason some people give, to more liberal attitudes, to
higher income levels, to people having more access, but I don't think
anyone knows for sure," Barbara Cimaglio told Business Insider.
Cimaglio pointed out that marijuana accounts for a large portion of
the state's drug use. Vermont ranked highest in the U.S. for marijuana
use, with about 13% of people saying they've used it in the past month.
"I think what drives this up tends to be the higher use of marijuana,
and if you look at the states [with high illicit drug use], they tend
to be the states that have decriminalized or have more favorable
attitudes toward use of marijuana," she said.
Trafficking from out-of-state drug dealers has also worsened
Vermont's drug problem, likely because the state has highways that feed
into big cities.
"I think Vermont is really in sort of a perfect storm because we're
on that highway between Montreal, Boston, New York, and also going to
Philadelphia," Cimaglio said. "You have to go through Vermont to get to
some of the bigger cities like Boston, so it seems like some people are
just trafficking along the way and Vermont is one of the stops."
Within the last year or so, she said, she's heard more stories of
burglaries related to drug trafficking and more stories about people
being arrested in Vermont who aren't from the state.
Seven Days, an independent newspaper in Vermont, reported earlier this year
that large amounts of heroin have been coming into the state from
big-city dealers who can sell the drug at a higher price in Vermont. The
drug is coming from New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and
Detroit.
A bag of heroin that would cost $5 in a big city can sell for as
much as $30 in Rutland, Vt., the city's police chief James Baker told
the newspaper. Vermont is seeing an uptick in heroin use, Cimaglio
confirmed.
Prescription drug use has also risen dramatically in Vermont, as it has around the country, the Burlington Free Press reported in 2011.
Vermont officials have taken notice of the drug use trends and are trying to curb the problem.
"We've enhanced our treatment services greatly, and also law enforcement," Cimaglio said. "We're addressing it on all fronts."