TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – According to the CDC, in 2023 Indiana was down nearly 18% in overdose deaths which is the second highest decrease in the country.
There are many resources that local recovery organizations provide for the community. However, Hamilton Center’s Chief Clinical Officer Mark Collins said that the addition of naloxone overdose reversal kits throughout the community have been a game changer.
“Narcan is specifically meant to save someone’s life, so we want to continue doing that and get those individuals into treatment so that they can begin and sustain recovery from addictions,” he said.
In Indiana, an estimated 2,190 individuals died by drug overdose in 2023. Indiana is among four states that reported the largest year-over-year declines of 15% or more in overdose deaths in 2023.
Joseph Jones, a peer recovery specialist for Wabash Valley Recovery Center, said that naloxone kits have been live saving.
“We can see these numbers decrease and numbers don’t lie,” Jones said. “It really makes me happy to see this because you can’t get clean if you are dead.”
Jones said addiction is something that has affected many more lives than the ones that were lost.
“We are getting to a point now where there is nobody that can say that haven’t had an overdose or someone in their family with an addiction effect their life,” he said.
Collins said that they want to continue their work in hopes of preventing tragedies.
“That has a ripple effect in our communities, children, and families,” Collins said. “For us, it is significant to see a decrease for the first time in several years. We now know that we are doing the right things and are taking the right steps.”
Governor Holcomb was quoted in the release saying, “We remain steadfast in our commitment to furthering efforts to prevent substance use, expand access to treatment, and support Hoosiers on their path to recovery.”
