EVANSVILLE — In April, former Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke gave his final State of the City address. At the annual speech, Winnecke confronted a life-or-death issue for Evansville and the country: the opioid epidemic.
“Fentanyl and other opioids are at the heart of many overdoses,” Winnecke said. “Sadly, Evansville is not immune from this national crisis: 77 people died in our community last year from drug overdoses.”
Winnecke then asked a rhetorical question: “How do we reduce that number?”
One way to address the crisis, Winnecke said, would be a creative new partnership between two local organizations, funded by dollars the city received from historic, nation-spanning lawsuits against prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors.
The two local organizations, YouthFirst and Forefront Therapy, say their evidenced-based programs will help prevent opioid misuse and addiction in Evansville through education, occupational and physical therapy, social work, healthcare provider symposiums and other efforts.