[caption id="attachment_103190" align="alignright" width="360"] The Kosciusko County Coroner's sign on Lake Street in Warsaw was recently updated to reflect the year-to-date number of deaths recorded in the county. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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.

[caption id="attachment_103170" align="alignright" width="360"] Kosciusko County Coroner Tyler Huffer began posting the number of overdose deaths in the county in September of 2023 when this photo was taken. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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.

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WARSAW -- An online tool made available through the Indiana Department of Health is shedding light on how often Narcan is being used to fight the opioid epidemic.

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is the drug used to resuscitate people in the midst of an opioid overdose, which often involves fentanyl.

The state health department’s online heat map can be filtered to look at specific time ranges and can zoom in and show where Narcan was used at a neighborhood level.

An up-close look at Warsaw shows numerous hot spots.

The map is not perfect. Locations are not exact.

The state estimates that about 15 percent of instances where Narcan is used are not recorded because of insufficient or missing information.

The map also does not always show where the overdose occurred. For instance, hospitals often use the medicine after a user has arrived from another location.

Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory serves as a distribution hub for Narcan to emergency responders in Kosciusko County.

Chris Fancil, the EMS chief for the fire territory, says the map is an eye-opener.

"It tells us we have a huge problem and that we need to find ways to do better," Fancil said. "We have a lot of work to do."

Last year, the fire territory distributed nearly 300 doses throughout parts of the county.

In 2020, the fire territory alone used Narcan 25 times. That climbed to 35 in 2021 and 40 in 2022.

Fancil was asked where the battle against opioids is headed.

"I think it's getting worse. We're just trying to bring as many resources to bear as we possibly can. Some of that is public education, some of it's more Narcan out in the community, some of it's trying to limit the number of opiates being prescribed," Fancil said.

"I think we're all doing what we can to mitigate this, but it's going to take some time."

Kosciusko County saw a record number of overdose deaths in 2022.

According to the county coroner's office, 18 people died in the county from overdoses last year. Another 12 or 13 from the county died after being taken to a hospital outside of the county.

The fire territory is currently seeking 300 more doses from the state health department.

The medicine is provided free of charge to local entities.

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The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that the Indiana Department of Administration has posted a request for bids from companies to buy the drug naloxone. The state wants to buy 2,700 syringes and 5,400 nasal atomizers, which would be made available to agencies across Indiana.

State statistics have shown Indiana saw a more than 300 percent increase in the number of overdose deaths from heroin between 2010 and 2015, climbing from 54 to 239.

Indiana State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams has said communities across the state are having a hard time maintaining and paying for a supply of naloxone, which state officials say has risen sharply in cost.

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