More Yet To Be Done In War On Opioids, Speaker Says
More Yet To Be Done In War On Opioids, Speaker Says
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Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
More Yet To Be Done In War On Opioids, Speaker SaysWINONA LAKE – Kosciusko County and Indiana are making inroads in the war on opioid abuse, but there is much to do, according to a state official who participated in a community discussion on health issues Friday at Grace College.
Kevin Moore, director of the division of mental health and addiction in the state’s Family and Social Services Administration, was one of four main speakers Friday at Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center during the fourth in a series of Community Conversations hosted by Kosciusko County Community Foundation and numerous other groups.
In 2016, Indiana recorded 1,518 overdose deaths, including 785 that involved opioids, which has become a popular choice for pain relief.
Kosciusko County saw 24 overdose deaths in 2017, sparking alarm and a local call to action.
So far, in 2018 the number of overdose deaths is six.
In 2015, the county had nine overdose deaths, followed by 15 in 2016, according to information provided by the county health department.
While the number of opioids being prescribed by doctors is down across the state, Indiana still ranks 11th in the country.
Moore said the state is working hard to establish a treatment continuum across the state, and tipped his hat to Warsaw-based Bowen Center for opening an opioid recovery center in Fort Wayne earlier this year. The facility serves the region and is one of at least five new drug treatment programs scheduled to open in Indiana this year in response to the opioid epidemic.
In the past 18 months, the state has seen an increase in the number of addiction treatment providers and is looking at 14 more proposals.
“I would be the first to tell you as the director of the division of mental health and addiction, we’ve got a ways to go,” Moore told several hundred people gathered for the community discussion.
While Moore focused on opioids, other speakers addressed infant mortality, smoking and obesity.
Moore recounted how the medical profession has changed its outlook on prescribing opioids in recent years and underscored the point by contrasting literature that his wife received following two knee surgeries.
Seven years ago, she was encouraged to “stay ahead of the pain” by using her supply of 60 hydrocodone. But after a more recent surgery, she was advised to expect some pain and use hydrocodone if she could not sleep.
“Instruction over the years has changed completely around how we manage paid with knee surgery,” Moore said. “I assume that’s across the board as well.”
He said various parts of rural Indiana still don’t have adequate services to address opioid addiction.
“We know there are pockets in our state where treatment is hard to find and hard to pay for and we are continually looking at data to tell us where those are and how we can support those.”
Moore said the state provides a website – recovery.in.gov – that allows anyone to search for different addiction-related services within a specific area and includes outpatient, residential services, inpatient services and opioid treatment programs.
Grace College President Bill Katip provided opening comments and presented statistics on various health issues.
Among those:
Kosciusko County ranked 29th of 92 counties in health outcomes, which looked at life expectancy and quality-of-life statistics.
• 19 percent of Kosciusko County adults smoke, compared to 21 percent statewide.
• 34 percent of Kosciusko County residents are obese. Across the state, 32 percent are considered obese.
• 26 percent of county residents are considered physically inactive, compared to 27 percent in the state.
• Only 65 percent of county residents have access to exercise facilities, compared to 77 percent across the state.
• The rate of uninsured in the county is 13 percent, compared to 11 percent across the state.
Other speakers scheduled to talk were Kristina Box, Indiana health commissioner; Chelsy Winters, senior director of community health with the YMCA in Indianapolis; and Katelin Rupp, who oversees tobacco prevention and cessation programs for the state.
After each of the four speakers, observers broke into smaller groups to consider ways those issues could be addressed locally.
