ANDERSON – A one-day summit to develop a coordinated plan to combat
drug abuse is being hosted by the Madison County Health Department in
April.
The Health Department says the Drug Addiction 2016 Summit on April 14 is aimed at addressing the county’s high rate of drug overdose deaths, increase in hepatitis C rates and to expand substance abuse programming.
When it comes to deaths caused by drug overdoses, Madison County has ranked third in the state for the past decade, although the county is the 13th largest based on population in Indiana, said Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings.
The Indiana State Health Department statistics show that between 2009 and 2013 there were 193 deaths in Madison County that can be attributed to drug overdoses.
“We have a disproportionate number of people using drugs and going to prison for drug-related offenses,” Cummings said. “Illegal drug use is a big problem in the county.”
Cummings said the Summit meeting is a positive step but the concern is how effective it will be in lowering the amount of drug abuse in the county.
“Clearly we’re not winning the war on drug abuse,” he said.
Madison County was ranked first in Indiana and 12th in the United States when it came to meth labs in 2012, Cummings said.
The new drug of choice is heroin usage, he said.
Cummings said the needle exchange program implemented by the Health Department in 2015 is helping reduce the numbers.
The county is spending $1 million per year on social work and trying to integrate people back into the community from drug addiction and release from prison, he said.
Kellie Kelley, program manager for the Health Department, said the county has received a $12,000 grant from The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis that will fund the summit.
The summit will involve service providers in the areas of drug addiction and mental health issues and include local law enforcement agencies.
“We’re looking at the formation of a time limited task force to combat drug abuse in Madison County,” Kelley informed the Madison County Board of Health on Wednesday.
Kelley said there will be representatives from Scott County, the first in Indiana to start a needle exchange program, at the Summit.
“We want to work on the preparation side,” she said. “We want a plan for treatment if we uncover more HIV cases in the future.”
Karen Finnigan, health educator, said a Mental Health Coalition was recently formed in Madison County and is looking at the services available.
Steve Ford, Health Department administrator, said the coalition is addressing drug addiction as a result of mental health issues.
He said there are three subcommittees working on law enforcement issues, primary care and education.
“The goal is to look at the services available for drug abuse, depression and training for first responders,” Finnigan said.
The Health Department says the Drug Addiction 2016 Summit on April 14 is aimed at addressing the county’s high rate of drug overdose deaths, increase in hepatitis C rates and to expand substance abuse programming.
When it comes to deaths caused by drug overdoses, Madison County has ranked third in the state for the past decade, although the county is the 13th largest based on population in Indiana, said Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings.
The Indiana State Health Department statistics show that between 2009 and 2013 there were 193 deaths in Madison County that can be attributed to drug overdoses.
“We have a disproportionate number of people using drugs and going to prison for drug-related offenses,” Cummings said. “Illegal drug use is a big problem in the county.”
Cummings said the Summit meeting is a positive step but the concern is how effective it will be in lowering the amount of drug abuse in the county.
“Clearly we’re not winning the war on drug abuse,” he said.
Madison County was ranked first in Indiana and 12th in the United States when it came to meth labs in 2012, Cummings said.
The new drug of choice is heroin usage, he said.
Cummings said the needle exchange program implemented by the Health Department in 2015 is helping reduce the numbers.
The county is spending $1 million per year on social work and trying to integrate people back into the community from drug addiction and release from prison, he said.
Kellie Kelley, program manager for the Health Department, said the county has received a $12,000 grant from The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis that will fund the summit.
The summit will involve service providers in the areas of drug addiction and mental health issues and include local law enforcement agencies.
“We’re looking at the formation of a time limited task force to combat drug abuse in Madison County,” Kelley informed the Madison County Board of Health on Wednesday.
Kelley said there will be representatives from Scott County, the first in Indiana to start a needle exchange program, at the Summit.
“We want to work on the preparation side,” she said. “We want a plan for treatment if we uncover more HIV cases in the future.”
Karen Finnigan, health educator, said a Mental Health Coalition was recently formed in Madison County and is looking at the services available.
Steve Ford, Health Department administrator, said the coalition is addressing drug addiction as a result of mental health issues.
He said there are three subcommittees working on law enforcement issues, primary care and education.
“The goal is to look at the services available for drug abuse, depression and training for first responders,” Finnigan said.
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