Opioid problem continues to affect many communities across central Indiana
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY (WISH) — The opioid problem continues to affect many communities across the country, including right here in central Indiana.
Just the other day a 17-year-old girl overdosed in the parking lot of a shopping store in Bartholomew County.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office is working with other agencies to do whatever they can to stop the drugs from making its way to Bartholomew County.
So far this year they have seen an increase in the number of overdose calls in the county and city of Columbus.
The latest overdose call for Bartholomew County happened Tuesday night in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on State Road 46.
“The actual call came in as just a 911 call and they responded to the reported 911 and when they arrived they ended up finding a young person in an OD state,” said Major Chris Lane, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy was in the area and responded to the call. He found a car running with lights on and inside a 17-year-old girl in the front seat. The sheriff’s office said the deputy used two doses of Narcan to bring the girl back.
“It’s unfortunate in that it’s almost becoming routine that between, not only my agency or the sheriff’s office or the city police or the state police, we routinely are running on overdose calls,” he said.
Lane is the Chief Deputy for the sheriff’s office. He said so far this year the city and county responded to 72 overdose calls and that number was 35 last year.
“I’ve never seen anything like the opioid issue that we’re struggling with and again it’s not just here it’s a national problem,” he said.
Lane said this problem affects everyone in the community from parents to kids.
“Obviously, parents that are struggling with when they got kids that are struggling with addiction or kids that have parents that struggle with addiction,” he said.
He believes there’s also a desperate need for more treatment facilities in the area.
“Our community is no different than any other community. Everybody is struggling with this and everybody is struggling with a place for these folks to go,” he said.
“They show up at hospitals, a lot of time hospitals have limited resources on what they could do for long-term treatment.”
Lane knows change won’t happen overnight. He said building awareness is important and stopping people from moving the drugs into the community.
“If somebody got an addiction they need the help but if somebody is pushing this poison I got a place for them and it’s in the jail,” he said.
As for the 17-year-old girl, the sheriff’s office said she was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital. At this time, her condition is still unknown.
A community forum to talk about the heroin epidemic in Columbus is happening on April 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It will be held at The Commons located at 300 Washington Street in Columbus.
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