Attitudes and beliefs about Vermont’s 2021 buprenorphine decriminalization law among residents who use illicit opioids

In July 2021, Vermont removed all criminal penalties for possessing 224mg or less of buprenorphine. Vermont residents (N=474) who used illicit opioid drugs or received treatment for opioid use disorder in the past 90 days were recruited for a mixed-methods survey on the health and criminal legal eff...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Drug and alcohol dependence 2023-09, Vol.250, p.110879-110879, Article 110879
Main Authors: Feder, Kenneth A., Harris, Samantha J., Byrne, Lauren, Miller, Samantha M., Sodder, Shereen, Berman, Vanessa, Livingston, Amy, Edwards, Jessica, Hartman, Shane, Sugarman, Olivia K., Shah, Hridika, Xu, Justin, Raikes, Jewyl, Gattine, Sabrina, Saloner, Brendan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Buprenorphine
Decriminalization
Opioids
State policy, mixed methods
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Summary:In July 2021, Vermont removed all criminal penalties for possessing 224mg or less of buprenorphine. Vermont residents (N=474) who used illicit opioid drugs or received treatment for opioid use disorder in the past 90 days were recruited for a mixed-methods survey on the health and criminal legal effects of decriminalization. Topics assessed included: motivations for using non-prescribed buprenorphine, awareness of and support for decriminalization, and criminal legal system experiences involving buprenorphine. We examined the frequencies of quantitative measures and qualitatively summarized themes from free-response questions. Three-quarters of respondents (76%) reported lifetime use of non-prescribed buprenorphine. 80% supported decriminalization, but only 28% were aware buprenorphine was decriminalized in Vermont. Respondents described using non-prescribed buprenorphine to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and avoid use of other illicit drugs. 18% had been arrested while in buprenorphine, with non-White respondents significantly more likely to report such arrests (15% v 33%, p
ISSN:0376-8716
1879-0046
DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110879