Office of Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30th, 2024
Contact
Lisa Gerlach
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
(802) 636-7047
lisa.gerlach@vermont.gov
NEWS: Lt. Governor Zuckerman’s Statement on Veto of H.72
MONTPELIER, Vt: On Thursday, Lt. Governor David Zuckerman released the following statement after the Governor’s veto of H.72, An act relating to harm-reduction criminal justice response to drug use:
“Tonight, as I joined over 100 people at a retirement celebration for Howard Center CEO Bob Bick, I was deeply disappointed to hear about Governor Scott’s veto of H..72. Bob has spent the past 40 years working to protect our most vulnerable populations through his work at the Howard Center, and legislation such as H.72 would be a huge step forward in helping reduce the death toll of the highly at-risk population of people who are afflicted with substance use disorder. This bill would have reduced unsafe needles and other drug paraphernalia on the streets. It would have opened the door for more people to make the choice to find help and community support for their substance use and turn the corner to recovery. Overdose prevention centers could improve people’s lives, their health, and the health of our communities.
“Overdose Prevention Centers in other countries and states in the U.S. have unequivocally reduced the number of overdoses in the communities where they operate. As we work to address the opioid crisis in Vermont, proven methods such as OPCs should be incorporated into our toolbox to help reduce the number of preventable deaths and help get people into treatment. I hope that the legislature will override this veto next month.”
###