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Harm Reduction

Welcome to Turning Point Center of Bennington's Harm Reduction page, where we prioritize compassionate support and practical strategies for individuals navigating substance use challenges.

Through education, resources, and community outreach, we empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Join us in fostering a culture of understanding, respect, and harm reduction.

FREE naloxone distribution (NARCAN®):

NARCAN® is a rescue drug that reverses the effects of heroin or other opiate overdose. If you or someone you know may be at risk of a heroine or other opiate overdose, consider carrying naloxone.

  • Learn to recognize and respond to an overdose

  • No names needed

  • No appointment needed

  • Questions? Call (802) 442-9700

 

Narcan® is free to the public by the courtesy of the Vermont Department of Health funded by the tobacco settlement. Please stop by or make an appointment with one of our staff.

 

If you would like an organization group training or an employee training, please contact us during business hours at (802) 442-9700.

Narcan

Harm Reduction Bag

What’s inside the HRB:

  • 2 Narcan

  • Fentanyl Test Strip

  • Wound Care Kit

  • Mouth Guard

  • Resource Material

 

Harm Reduction Bags are free. You can come into our center and ask for one.

If you're a company that wants to include some information into our bag, please feel free to give us a call at (802) 442-9700 or email us at info@tpcbennington.org

Harm+Reduction+Bag.jpg

Do You Know What to Do?

CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY

Tell the 9-1-1 Operator that the Victim has Overdosed; state the Victim’s Location and Conditions.

  • Without your assistance in getting Medical Aide the Victim may die.

  • Stay with the Victim, Monitor their condition. DO NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE!

  • If the Victim is lying down, roll them on their side to prevent aspiration if they vomit. Try to make sure their airway is unobstructed.

  • Use NARCAN® if trained and available.

  • Tell the First Responder what and how much the Victim Used, Drank or Ingested.

A person suffering an overdose needs immediate medical aid.

Overdose of Drugs and/or Alcohol
 

Do You Know What to Look for?

Signs and Symptoms if the Victim:

  • has ingested drugs and/or drunk large quantities of alcohol quickly.

  • has shallow breathing; Breathing slowly - less than 8 breaths per minute.

  • has passed out; semi-conscious or unconscious; is not responsive.

  • has vomited or vomited while unconscious.

  • has pale or bluish skin tone, especially on the face, neck, chest & lining of the inner surfaces of the eyelids

  • has “pinpoint” pupils.
     

Not all symptoms have to be present to be considered an overdose
 

YouTube Training Videos

Learn about how NARCAN® Nasal Spray 4mg works

How to Use NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray

NARCAN® training video - Instructions for administration of NARCAN® Nasal Spray 4mg

Printable Reading Material

The Vermont Statutes Online

 

 

Title 18 : Health
Chapter 084 : Possession And Control Of Regulated Drugs
Subchapter 003: Miscellaneous
(Cite as: 18 V.S.A. § 4254)
§ 4254. Immunity from liability

​

(a) As used in this section:

 (1) "Drug overdose" means an acute condition resulting from or believed to be resulting from the use of a regulated drug that a layperson would reasonably believe requires medical assistance. For purposes of this section, "regulated drug" shall include alcohol.

 (2) "Medical assistance" means professional services provided to a person experiencing a drug overdose by a health care professional licensed, registered, or certified under State law who, acting within his or her lawful scope of practice, may provide diagnosis, treatment, or emergency services for a person experiencing a drug overdose.

 (3) "Seeks medical assistance" shall include providing care to someone who is experiencing a drug overdose while awaiting the arrival of medical assistance to aid the overdose victim.

 

(b) A person who, in good faith and in a timely manner, seeks medical assistance for someone who is experiencing a drug overdose shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted for a violation of this chapter or cited, arrested, or prosecuted for procuring, possessing, or consuming alcohol by someone under 21 years of age pursuant to 7 V.S.A. § 656 or for providing to or enabling consumption of alcohol by someone under 21 years of age pursuant to 7 V.S.A. § 658(a)-(c).

 

(c) A person who is experiencing a drug overdose and, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for himself or herself or is the subject of a good faith request for medical assistance shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted for a violation of this chapter or cited, arrested, or prosecuted for procuring, possessing, or consuming alcohol by someone under 21 years of age pursuant to 7 V.S.A. S 656 or for providing to or enabling consumption of alcohol by someone under 21 years of age pursuant to 7 V.S.A. § 658(a)-(c).

 

(d) A person who seeks medical assistance for a drug overdose or is the subject of a good faith request for medical assistance pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall not be subject to any of the penalties for violation of 13 V.S.A. § 1030 (violation of a protection order), for a violation of this chapter or 7 V.S.A. § 656, for being at the scene of the drug overdose or for being within close proximity to any person at the scene of the drug overdose.

 

(e) A person who seeks medical assistance for a drug overdose or is the subject of a good faith request for medical assistance pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall not be subject to any sanction for a violation of a condition of pretrial release, probation, furlough, or parole for a violation of this chapter or 7 V.S.A. § 656 for being at the scene of the drug overdose or for being within close proximity to any person at the scene of the drug overdose.

 

(f) The act of seeking medical assistance for or by someone who is experiencing a drug overdose shall be considered a mitigating circumstance at sentencing for a violation of any other offense.

 

(g) The immunity provisions of this section apply only to the use and derivative use of evidence gained as a proximate result of the person's seeking medical assistance for a drug overdose, being the subject of a good faith request for medical assistance, being at the scene, or being within close proximity to any person at the scene of the drug overdose for which medical assistance was sought and do not preclude prosecution of the person on the basis of evidence obtained from an independent source.

 

(h) A person who seeks medical assistance for a drug overdose pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall not be subject to the provisions of subchapter 2 of this chapter concerning property subject to forfeiture, except that prima facie contraband shall be subject to forfeiture.

 

(i) Except in cases of reckless or intentional misconduct, law enforcement shall be immune from liability for citing or arresting a person who is later determined to qualify for immunity under this section. (Added 2013, No. 71, § 2, eff. June 5, 2013; amended 2013, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), § 17; 2017, No. 83, § 148.)

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