Location of overdoses tracked in communities

The map shows clusters of circles, representing every time someone has been close to death after taking opioids.

Statewide, hundreds of dots appear, but as you zoom in, you get a clearer picture of where opioid abuse is an issue.

In Johnson County, the dots — which state officials are calling hotspots — follow the population, as in many other communities. Hotspots are seen in Greenwood and Franklin, along with Edinburgh, Whiteland and New Whiteland.

When you zoom in closer, you get an idea of some of the areas where opioid use is more common. In Greenwood, that includes a location southeast of County Line Road and Interstate 65, near a known wooded area frequented by drug abusers, and near Valle Vista Health, one of the few opioid treatment centers in the state. In Franklin, that includes an area off King Street, near I-65.

The idea behind the map created by the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse is to give insight into where overdoses are happening most often, and allow emergency workers to plan their resources to best meet the need, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“Naloxone is a proven life-saver,” Jim McClelland, executive director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement, said in the release. “This map gives first responders a visual asset to help them deploy resources more efficiently. It’s one more tool we can use to attack the drug epidemic and promote recovery — an important focus of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration.”

Local emergency officials said they don’t pay attention to the location when they are called to an overdose, since it doesn’t change how they will treat the patient.

Narcan use is on the rise locally, and across the nation, and every patient is treated the same, no matter where they are, said Brad Epperson, Franklin Fire Department public information officer.

When emergency workers give someone Narcan in a suspected overdose, they then report that information to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which can keep track of the data. The map allows officials to track trends and other details.

“As we continue to battle the opioid epidemic from all angles, this new tool will both inform our first responders and help identify general locations that have seen an increase in naloxone delivery,” State EMS Medical Director Dr. Michael Kaufmann said in the release. “Indiana EMS providers and first responders deliver this life-saving medication every day, and the data produced through this mapping tool will help to guide the ongoing strategy of Gov. Holcomb’s NextLevel Recovery agenda.”

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The state has created a new website that tracks where emergency workers give Narcan, a drug meant to combat an opioid overdose.

Visit the site at https://www.in.gov/recovery/1054.htm

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