INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Department of Public Health released its first quarterly report on suspected overdose deaths Monday.
The eight-page report, which tracked data from January to March, was created in collaboration by MCPHD and the Marion County Coroner’s Office. The study was made possible by OD2A:LOCAL (Overdose Data to Action: Limiting Overdose through Collaborative Actions in Localities) and grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report states that there were 134 suspected overdose deaths in Marion County during the first quarter, a 28% decrease from the 185 deaths recorded during the first quarter of 2023. The deadliest week in the first quarter of 2024 was February 23-March 3, when 10% (14) of the 134 suspected overdose deaths in the first quarter occurred.
Toxicological tests were performed on 133 of the 134 people who died in the study. About 76% of the deceased had fentanyl or some kind of fentanyl analogue in their systems at the time of their death.
The MCPHD report shows that 68% of people suspected of having died of overdoses in the first quarter were men. The average age of those who died of suspected overdoses in the first quarter was 44.
The youngest deceased recorded in the report was 17 years old and the oldest was 75 years old. Approximately 44% of fatal overdose incidents recorded by the MCPHD occurred in the deceased’s home.
According to the study, 63% of those who died of suspected overdoses in the first quarter had never been married. About 16% of those who died had been divorced at some point.
Among the 134 people who died of suspected overdoses in the first quarter, 59 people (44%) had a documented history of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MCPHD also released a list of the Marion County ZIP codes with the highest overdose deaths, and 46% of the deaths occurred in seven ZIP codes. The highest-impacted ZIP codes were 46268 in the northwest, 46208 and 46222 in the west, 46203 in the southeast, and 46201, 46218 and 46219 in the east. ZIP codes 46203 and 46201 had the highest number of suspected overdose deaths in the first quarter (13).
View the full report published by the MCPHD here.
