Other Dangerous Drugs

The availability and abuse of other dangerous drugs (ODDs), principally diverted pharmaceuticals and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), pose an increasing threat to Vermont. Diverted pharmaceuticals commonly are distributed by independent dealers and abusers in private residences, bars, and other public areas. MDMA frequently is distributed and abused by teenagers and young adults at nightclubs and on college campuses.

 Diverted Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical diversion and abuse pose a growing threat to Vermont. Various diverted pharmaceuticals are abused in the state; however, OxyContin is more commonly diverted and abused than any other pharmaceutical. The Vermont Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported that six drug-related deaths in Vermont in 2001 involved oxycodone, the active chemical in OxyContin. Further, state and local law enforcement officials report that crime associated with OxyContin abuse, including doctor shopping, pharmacy burglaries, and prescription fraud, has recently increased. Incidents of diversion have increased so dramatically that the state welfare program stopped funding OxyContin prescriptions, and some doctors no longer prescribe the drug because of the potential for abuse. The Vermont Drug Task Force reports that diverted OxyContin tablets sell for $1 to $1.25 per milligram in the state.

MDMA

MDMA, also known as ecstasy, poses a low but growing threat to Vermont. Teenagers and young adults typically distribute and abuse MDMA at nightclubs and on college campuses. The drug generally is transported from New York City via private vehicles or package delivery services and sometimes is smuggled directly from Europe via package delivery services. The DEA Burlington Resident Office reported that MDMA sold for $18 to $30 per tablet in the state in the fourth quarter of FY2002.

LSD

Limited amounts of the hallucinogen LSD are available and abused in Vermont. The LSD available in the state typically is transported from the West Coast via package delivery services and is distributed and abused by teenagers and young adults at nightclubs and on college campuses. The DEA Burlington Resident Office reported that LSD sold for $4 to $7 per dosage unit in the fourth quarter of FY2002. 

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