Overdose deaths decline in county

Drug overdose deaths in Bartholomew County declined in 2024 for the second consecutive year, falling to the lowest annual total in seven years, according to preliminary data from the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office.

A total of 20 overdose deaths were logged last year, down from 25 in 2023 and a record 39 in 2022, according to the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office, which plans to validate and publish the final data. Last year’s total was the lowest since 2018, when there were 17 overdose deaths.