Outlook 

Heroin will remain the most serious drug threat to Vermont. The availability of heroin in Vermont will continue to increase as more heroin abusers begin to sell the drug to support their habits. The number of young abusers who snort or smoke high-purity heroin is likely to increase. Retail distributors in Vermont will continue to travel to other states to purchase heroin because ethnic groups that once distributed wholesale quantities of the drug locally found it difficult to blend with the community and conceal their illegal activities.

The availability and abuse of powdered cocaine will likely remain stable in Vermont. Powdered cocaine is widely available in the state, and there is no indication that availability or the abuser population will increase dramatically. Cocaine will continue to be purchased from sources outside the state because ethnic criminal groups cannot easily blend in with Vermont's homogeneous population. Crack will continue to be converted locally as needed by dealers attempting to minimize the risk of long federal prison sentences if arrested while transporting this form of cocaine.

The marijuana threat to Vermont should remain lower than that posed by heroin and cocaine because the effects on marijuana abusers and society are less pronounced. The availability and abuse of marijuana are widespread in the state, and demand for this drug likely will remain strong given its appeal to certain abuser groups, particularly the younger adult population. However, if the recent decline in abuse by high school students continues, the overall demand for marijuana in Vermont will decline. Wholesale distribution of marijuana is limited, and dealers will likely continue to sell retail quantities throughout the state.

The illegal use of OxyContin is likely to increase, perhaps dramatically, given the impact of OxyContin in other nearby states. The abuse of OxyContin is beginning to pose a problem in Vermont. It is possible that abusers of OxyContin will choose heroin if law enforcement officials, physicians, pharmacists, and representatives of Purdue Pharma L.P. are successful in limiting the diversion of the drug. MDMA and LSD will remain lower threats than heroin, cocaine, and marijuana but are likely to be used more frequently than they have been, particularly if raves are held in the area. Reports of citizens traveling from Vermont to raves in Montreal, Canada, and Springfield, Massachusetts, and the availability of MDMA at some bars and residences in the state indicate the increasing popularity of this drug.

Treatment data and law enforcement information indicate methamphetamine is rarely available or abused in the state. There are no indications that methamphetamine availability and abuse are going to change in Vermont.

To Top      To Contents     To Previous Page     To Sources

To Publications Page     To Home Page