The federal government's top anti-drug official says Vermont's efforts to fight heroin abuse can serve as a model for the rest of the country.
The director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, R. Gil Kerlikowske, made the comments Monday in Waterbury where he met with Governor Peter Shumlin and officials from the departments of health and public safety.
At the same meeting, State Police Colonel Tom L'Esperance police said it's hoped that within six weeks all state troopers will be trained to use the heroin overdose antidote drug Narcan.
Kerlikowske and Shumlin also toured a methadone clinic in South Burlington and met with emergency room staff at the state's largest hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care.
Fighting opiate addiction has been a top priority for Shumlin.
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