Indiana ranks among the worst states nationally when it comes to opioid use disorder – with drug overdoses in 2014 claiming more than 1,100 lives and costing the state $1.4 billion. But this year, we also may be one of the best positioned places to tackle the opioid epidemic by addressing its root causes and changing the way our state helps people overcome addiction. Two recent developments – one at the state level and one in Indianapolis – signal the momentum for addressing the challenge: In January, Republican Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb created a cabinet-level position charged with addressing Indiana’s drug epidemic, underscoring the urgency of the problem. Democratic Mayor […]

Indiana stands at the height of a twin addiction epidemic fueled by the rise of opioids and stubbornly persistent tobacco use in our state. Today more Hoosiers die from drug overdoses than auto accidents each year. The death toll from smoking equates to more than two fatal 747 airplane crashes each month. And we’re outpacing other states in our abuse of opioids and tobacco, ranking among the nation’s worst for the number of drug overdose deaths and percentage of residents who smoke. These findings were captured in two reports released by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. They should provide a wake-up call to action. Consider some other key findings of […]