INDIANA – Indiana teens are facing a troubling reality, with statistics indicating they are nearly 3% more likely to have used cocaine, methamphetamines, or heroin compared to the national average, according to data from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. The types of drugs being used are also causing severe and sometimes deadly consequences.
Indianapolis-based nonprofit Overdose Lifeline is working to combat this issue by partnering with other states to provide substance use prevention education programs. Justin Phillips, the founder and CEO of Overdose Lifeline, is raising alarm about the trends she sees. In 2013, Justin Phillips lost her son, Aaron, to addiction. He died from a heroin overdose. Since then, Justin founded and is now the executive director of Overdose Lifeline, Inc., a statewide Indiana nonprofit that provides citizens affected by substance abuse and addiction with education, resources, and support. Justin’s also responsible for the passing of Aaron’s Law, which makes Naloxone, a heroin overdose antidote, available for over-the-counter purchase.
Phillips reports that young people are increasingly sharing prescription drugs such as Adderall and Xanax with their peers, leading to alarming rates of suicide and overdoses. She emphasizes that these outcomes are largely preventable.
“Onset can be as early as 12, and it varies according to the substance that they’re using,” Phillips stated. “We have a lot of challenges around vaping right now, which is a nicotine and/or a cannabis vape.”…