INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Public Health Department released its first quarter report on suspected overdose deaths on Monday.
The eight-page report, which tracked data from January to March, was created cooperatively by both 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 indicated there were 134 suspected overdose deaths in Marion County during Q1 — a 28% decrease from the 185 deaths recorded during Q1 in 2023. The deadliest week of Q1 2024 was Feb. 23-March 3, when 10% (14) of the 134 Q1 suspected overdose deaths occurred.
Toxicology testing was completed on 133 of the 134 decedents logged in the study. About 76% of the decedents had fentanyl or some sort of fentanyl analog in their systems when they died.
MCPHD’s report shows that 68% of the people who were suspected to have died of overdoses during Q1 were men. Forty-four was the average age of the individuals who died of suspected overdoses in the first quarter.
The youngest decedent registered in the report was 17, and the oldest was 75. About 44% of the deadly overdose incidents MCPHD logged happened at the decedents’ residences.
Per the study, 63% of the people who died of suspected overdoses during the first quarter were never married. About 16% of the individuals who died were divorced at one point or another.
Of the 134 people who died of suspected overdoses in Q1, 59 decedents (44%) had documented history with mental health conditions like Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
MCPHD also released a list of the Marion County zip codes most impacted by overdose deaths, and 46% of the deaths occurred in seven zip codes. The most-impacted zip codes were 46268 on the northwest side, 46208 and 46222 on the west side, 46203 on the southeast side and 46201, 46218 and 46219 on the east side. Zip codes 46203 and 46201 tied for the most suspected overdose deaths during the first quarter (13).
Check out the full report MCPHD released here.
