2 people die per day in Indianapolis from ODs, study finds. Who is dying and what's being done
This story contains information about drug addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse, call the Indiana Addiction Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
Drugs killed two people per day in the Indianapolis area last year, according to staggering new data released by the Marion County Coroner's Office.
The office's annual report found drug intoxication remained a leading cause of death in the county for the third year in a row.
Here's what to know:
How many people died of drug overdoses in the Indianapolis area?
Last year, 852 people died from drug overdoses, either accidental or intentional. That's 26 more people compared with 2021.
The total also is more than three times the number of homicides committed in 2022, as well as more than three times the number of car crash fatalities.
It's also a significant increase from 2020, when the coroner recorded 664 people who overdosed.
Officials explained the number of overdoses listed in the coroner's report and reflected in the state's Department of Health dashboard may differ because the state has not finalized its data. A spokesperson with the state added that the Department of Health counts a person's death on the dashboard based on the county where they live, not where they died.
What's causing the increase in overdose deaths?
Fentanyl, the highly lethal synthetic opioid, is continuing to fuel a majority of drug-related deaths. Of the 852 overdose deaths last year, opiates contributed to 81% — almost exclusively fentanyl. Methamphetamine and cocaine intoxication followed.
Fentanyl has taken over the illicit drug market and become commonly laced with other illegal substances for a stronger and cheaper high. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration in a study of 58 million counterfeit pills last year found six out of 10 pills carried a lethal dose — small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil.
Who's dying from drug overdoses in Indianapolis?
Sixty-nine percent of the people who fatally overdosed last year were men.
White people, who are 62% of Marion County's population, accounted for 64% of overdose deaths last year. Black people, who are 30% of the population, accounted for 35% of deaths. One percent of the people who overdosed were Asian.
By age, people 30-39 years old experienced the highest rate of overdose deaths, at 215. People ages 40-49 had the second-highest rate, with 177 deaths.
The problem is also affecting the area's youngest residents. Two Avon high schoolers overdosed and died this spring within a little over a month of each other. Their deaths in Hendricks County are not reflected in the coroner's report, which only covers deaths in Marion County.
Related: Indianapolis comedian Ron Sexton, best known as Donnie Baker, died of fentanyl and alcohol
Where is this happening?
Roughly 50% of overdoses in the city last year happened in the following seven ZIP codes, from highest to lowest:
46201: 79 deaths
46218: 58 deaths
46219: 57 deaths
46203: 55 deaths
46241: 54 deaths
46222: 53 deaths
46028: 42 deaths
What's being done?
The coroner's report noted the office is using $1 million it received from the major settlement between states and opioid providers toward services. Among those efforts include hiring social workers and handing out vouchers for mental health and substance abuse treatment after a fatal overdose occurs.
Indianapolis mayoral candidates weighed in on overdose deaths
"The number of drug overdose-related deaths in Marion County is tragic. People are losing their lives and families are suffering," said Jefferson Shreve, the Republican challenger.
Shreve said he intends to triple the city's investment in the new crisis response team to address mental health, a central part of his campaign, without a tax increase, and work with private businesses to tackle the overdose problem.
"Real results take leadership, and we aren't getting it under our current mayor," he concluded.
Incumbent Mayor Joe Hogsett, who's seeking reelection, pointed to numerous addiction-related programs the city has implemented under his two terms.
He said the city has stationed free boxes of naloxone, the opioid treatment drug, at every Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and Fire Department station in the city. He also pointed to the expansion of 30 to 60 beds at the Assessment and Intervention Center, where people with addiction issues can receive help versus landing in jail.
More: Read the whole report here
How to get help for drug addiction in Indianapolis
To find addiction treatment options in Indiana, visit in.gov/fssa/addiction/
Help is also available through the Indiana Mental Health and Addiction Hotline at 800-662-4357.
If you or someone needs assistance immediately, dial 211 to be connected to available providers and 911 during an emergency such as an overdose.
Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Overdose deaths in Indianapolis: Fentanyl killing 2 people per day
