City of Indianapolis in hopes of using settlement funding to tackle the opioid crisis

MARION COUNTY — So many people lost their lives from an overdose last year that the Marion County Coroner's office is still counting. So far, the number is up to more than 800 people.

It's the highest overdose death toll the county has ever had.

"It is hard, so many families are grieving," Chief Deputy Coroner, Alfie McGinty, said.

McGinty says nearly all of 2022 overdose deaths are related to fentanyl.

"We're seeing that the problem is laced drugs," McGinty said.

Fentanyl is so powerful and prominent in the community that the DEA warns everyone to assume all street drugs are laced with it.

David Dillehay died in September 2019, but saved three lives as an organ donor.

"He purchased heroin, but ended up dying of a fentanyl overdose," Dillehay's aunt, Debbie Conway, said.

Conway dedicates her life to those suffering from the cycle of addiction in loving memory of her nephew.

"David was a father. He was a grandson and a son. He has children. He will not get to watch his son graduate from college. He will not get to take his daughter to the father-daughter dance anymore. He was a great father," Conway said.

Even Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has been impacted by the crisis.

"I lost a nice to a fentanyl overdose just one year ago. 24-years-old. It touches so many families throughout the community," Hogsett said.

Fentanyl is a growing problem across Marion County.

"The trend is still increasing, unfortunately, and that's something that we don't want to continue to see happening," McGinty said.

The city is partnering with the Coroner's Office and the Office of Public Health and Safety to tackle the opioid addiction crisis.

"We can and we will improve health outcomes dramatically for Marion County," Hogsett said.

Their goal is to use $800,000 of funding the city received in a nationwide opioid settlement.

The money will go towards recovery services so people don't have to worry about the cost of getting help. It will also help reduce the stigma associated with substance abuse.

"There are so many children who are impacted by this, who have lost mothers and father's. That impacts them for the rest of their life and we want to make sure that we're giving them the services that they need for mental health, recovery and to reduce any stigma related to it," McGinty said.