If you or someone you love is suffering from opioid use disorder and needs treatment and support resources, here's how to get connected:
In Vermont:
Call 2-1-1, a free and confidential resource hotline provided by the United Way of Vermont.
Outside Vermont:
Call 1-800-662-HELP, a free, confidential 24-hour hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Staff Writer: Kate O'Neill
Lead Editor and Project Manager: Paula Routly
Editors: Matthew Roy, Candace Page
Data Wrangler: Andrea Suozzo
Designers: Don Eggert, Rev. Diane Sullivan
The 'Hooked" series was made possible in part by funding from:
The series was reported and edited by Seven Days news staff; underwriters had no influence on the content.
In 2019, Seven Days published “Hooked: Stories and Solutions from Vermont’s Opioid Crisis,” written by Kate O’Neill (pictured below). The special report chronicles the state’s opioid epidemic and efforts to address it.
O'Neill's sister, Madelyn Linsenmeir, died in October 2018 after years battling opioid addiction. “Hooked” tells the stories of other Vermonters affected directly, and indirectly, by the crisis, and of the systems they pass through every day, including hospitals, courtrooms, testing clinics, treatment centers, needle exchanges, jails and recovery programs.
Have a tip or a story to share about opioid addiction in Vermont?
Email our news editors at [email protected] or call 802-864-5684.
If you've lost someone to opioid-use disorder, your remembrances can educate, change minds, awaken empathy — and inspire action. Read the memorials we've collected on the All Our Hearts website and submit your own.