Parents share concerns about youth drug use in Central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Advocates are encouraging you to speak to your kids concerning the opioid epidemic.

The Indiana Division of Well being stories 41 individuals beneath the age of 24 died of an overdose in Marion county final 12 months.

“Sadly one little tablet will take their life,” Anderson native Kevin Oliver mentioned. “I misplaced two kids in ‘21. I’m not doing this for me. This simply brings up ache and agony for me on a regular basis. I’m doing this so one other mother or father doesn’t really feel what I really feel on a regular basis.”

Oliver’s son Andon was shot and killed in January and months later his son Kevin Jr. died of a fentanyl overdose.

Within the wake of their deaths, Oliver based Andon’s Blessings and Breaking the Chains of Habit to unfold consciousness about gun violence and the opioid epidemic.

“We now have received to step and discuss to our kids, one other who we’re working with, what kinda tablets they’ve heard about. We’ve received to coach our kids. It’s one thing that has to occur,” he mentioned.

Proper now, drug use is on the minds of many mother and father in Central Indiana.

In Hendricks County, two Avon Excessive College have died of drug overdose since March.

PREVIOUS | 2nd Avon Excessive College pupil dies of suspected overdose since March 15 (wrtv.com)

The district superintendent , together with habit/restoration consultants, mentioned the latest tragedies throughout a podcast referred to as Orioles in-the-know.

“I believe step one is acknowledging that 90 % of instances of substance use or substance use dysfunction are co-occurring with a psychological well being battle of some kind. Most frequently that’s despair, nervousness, it may very well be put up traumatic stress dysfunction,” Chase Cotten with the Willow Heart mentioned.

In Marion County, there have been 67 overdose calls final 12 months from greater than 300 public, non-public and constitution faculties.

There are 23 up to now this 12 months.

A spokesperson for IEMS declined to touch upon these statistics however did say the numbers may very well be “alarming from a mother or father’s perspective.”

“Be concerned in your kids’s lives. Know who their associates are. Know the place they’re going. Pry. Ask them to see their telephones, their computer systems. Be concerned,” Debra Rybolt mentioned.

Rybolt’s 17-year-old is graduating highschool this 12 months and has seen firsthand the influence drug use has had on his classmates.

Rybolt says that’s why when he grows up, he needs to make a constructive change in his group.

“He’s additionally making an attempt to get numerous info as properly so when he has to develop into a police officer, he’d like to speak to the youthful generations concerning the gangs, the medication. It’s all the time there,” she mentioned.

For those who’d wish to get entangled on this advocacy work, Andon’s Blessings is assembly Sunday, Could 7 at 1:30 p.m. on the Blue Bridge in downtown Anderson.

They are going to be taking pictures a industrial that can be aired nationwide to assist educate and unfold consciousness for gun violence and drug habit/overdose consciousness.