MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is asking the Legislature to spend about $10 million in new spending to help the state fight a burgeoning problem with opiate drugs, including heroin and prescription drugs.
The proposal is included in Shumlin’s proposed 2015 budget, which he’s presenting to the Legislature on Wednesday.
Of the total new spending, $8 million would provide additional funding for the Care Alliance for Opioid Addiction.
He’s asking the Legislature to spend $200,000 in this year’s budget help addicts get into treatment fast.
In the 2015 budget, he’s asking for $760,000 to expand a rapid intervention program based on a successful Chittenden County model.
Last week Shumlin devoted almost his entire State of the State speech to highlighting the threat posed by the abuse of opiate drugs.
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