Continuing Coverage: A Year-Long Focus On Drug Addiction
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin devoted almost all of his 2014 State of the State address to the state’s epidemic of opiate addiction. VPR focused on this issue throughout the year by telling stories of a family ravaged by drug abuse, profiling an addict in recovery, producing a series on babies born withdrawing from opiates and developing a statewide digital crowd-sourcing project to collect stories of addiction. At the end of the year, "Vermont Edition" gauged the success of the state's response.
News feature: State officials and community services worked throughout the year to implement Gov. Peter Shumlin's new policies on opiate addiction treatment. But opiate addiction in Vermont is not a new problem. VPR's Taylor Dobbs tells the story of one young woman's years-long struggle with addiction, and her year of recovery (6:47). Sept. 18, 2014.
Story post: Clean Time: One Addict's Year Of Recovery
News report: There are many people affected by opioid addiction in Vermont, but for pregnant women who are substance dependent, there are always two lives at stake. VPR's Steve Zind explores the treatment available to mothers in part two of a three-part series, Two Lives At Stake. (5:14). Jan. 22, 2014.
Story post: With Two Lives At Stake, Opioid-Addicted Mothers Need Integrated Treatment
Full three-part series: Two Lives At Stake
News Feature: On March 2, 2013, Brennan Joseph Dekeersgieter died of an overdose. Now, his little brother Colin, his little sister Caitlin, and their parents Margery and Robert are one of Vermont's many families who spend their days confronting their loss, and figuring out how to move forward after drug addiction took one of their own. VPR's Taylor Dobbs reports (7:16). June 3, 2014.
Story post: 'His Pain Was The Addiction': An Overdose Death And A Family's Path Forward
Web special: Traces, a statewide crowdsourcing project, invited Vermonters to share their stories of addiction – their own or that of a friend or family member – by writing, sending a photo or leaving a message on a special voicemail line.
Web app: Traces: What Reminds You?
Vermont Edition: In December, VPR's daily news magazine looked at the progress the state made in addressing opiate addiction in the state in 2014, and the work that still needs to be done (8:00 - fades). Dec. 16, 2014.
Episode post: Opiate Addiction And Treatment: How Far Have We Come?
