By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The number of overdose deaths in Kosciusko County has fallen significantly over the past year.
A final 2024 tally is not yet complete, but as of last week, the number of overdose deaths recorded in the county stood at 9, according to a sign updated outside of the county coroner’s office that keeps a running total.
That’s less than half the number recorded in 2023.
County coroner Tyler Huffer was not immediately available, but two officials familiar with the issue talked to News Now Warsaw about the apparent trend, which is also being seen nationally.
“Nine is too many. One would be too many. Any lives lost are too many, but it’s been great to see that number continue to go down, said Heidi Blake, coordinator for Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education (K-CODE).
She and Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith both credit the reduction in deaths to the increased use of Narcan (generic name is Naloxone), which is used to reverse the effects if applied promptly when somebody overdoses.
Blake said she carries Narcan with her in case she runs into a situation where it could be used.
“Unfortunately, some people still believe it’s enabling individuals or that individuals should not have access to Narcan for free, but again, we know it’s saving lives in our community,” Blake said.
Smith also acknowledged the role Naracan is having in the community and said drugs like fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine remain available in the area.
Both Blake and Smith said they believe an array of community programs are also having a role in reducing the number of deaths.
“These folks that have decided to change their ways, I’m confident in telling you all they have to do is say the words and there’d be somebody there to help,” Smith said.
Narcan can be purchased in local pharmacies but is also available in several other locations such as Bowen Health.
You can learn more about Nalaxon at this website, which includes a map that pinpoints locations where the overdose-reversing drug can be found.
According to the Indiana Overdose Dashboard, the number of overdose deaths in Kosciusko County has been above 20 since 2021.
More than 100,000 people have been dying annually from drug overdoses, and 75% of those deaths involve opioids (including highly potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl, often in combination with other drugs like stimulants), according to the National Institutes of Health.
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl flooded the illicit market and became the leading cause of overdose deaths beginning in 2016, the NIH website said.
