heroin

Prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous. It only takes a little to lose a lot.

Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) are effective community-based interventions that can prevent infectious diseases, link clients to treatment for substance use disorders, and can reduce overdose deaths among people who inject drugs. They do not increase illegal drug use or crime. Read more about SSPs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People at highest risk for HIV infection may be able to secure a free HIV test through the Comprehensive Care Clinics (Vermont providers of HIV specialty care) or through the Community Health Center of Burlington (a Federally Qualified Health Center). Contact one of the sites below for more information.

We support free HIV testing at a range of community sites. These sites also offer referral and links to prevention interventions that may help you stop the spread of HIV. People who are sexually active may receive referrals to STD testing. Although some locations offer drop-in testing, we suggest contacting the sites ahead of time to set up an appointment. 

Here is information on Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment, the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System, and the opioid prescribing rule, which went into effect July 1, 2017.

The Hub & Spoke system is a statewide partnership of clinicians and treatment centers that provide medication-assisted therapy to Vermonters addicted to opioid drugs.

The Health Department works with law enforcement, health care, youth-serving organizations, schools and communities to reduce risks that contribute to addiction while promoting healthy lifestyles.

In an overdose, opioids can slow breathing to the point of death. To save lives, the Health Department gives out a medication called naloxone (brand name Narcan®) that can reverse an overdose.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of opioid use disorder.

HIV can be prevented, and the risk of infection greatly reduced, through changes in behaviors or taking actions that can interrupt transmission.