Drug overdoses continue to decrease across Michiana

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- In Indiana, St. Joseph County is seeing a 24 percent decrease in drug overdose deaths alongside Kosciusko County with as much as a 74 percent drop, but the fight against substance abuse is not over.

A four percent decrease in Berrien County shows drug overdoses are only the beginning for the Berrien County Health Department.

This reduction stands as a step forward, but Lisa Peeples-Hurst, the Public Health Promotion and Prevention Supervisor, emphasizes that the work continues to decrease this number and provide resources to the community to combat this issue.

“We’ve had some high numbers since 2020, the last time we really had low numbers was in 2019, so even though this is about a four percent decrease, that means that our efforts are working and I’m pleased to report that their working but it’s by no means a time to say we’re leveling out on opioid related deaths," said Peeples-Hurst.

The Berrien County Health Department has been doing substance abuse prevention since 1996 and they have been following drug trends and prescription misuse for many years.

As of today, they are offering free Narcan training and Narcan vending machines across the area as a proactive approach to reducing opioid-related deaths.

They want consumers and the community to know that they are urging residents to pay attention to the drugs they consume, considering they could be laced with Fentanyl.

There’s a new animal tranquilizer named Xylazine that unfortunately does not react to the overdose reversal Narcan.

Last year there were 57 drug-related deaths with 38 of them being opioid related.

This year that number lowered to 20 deaths and 15 being opioid related.

Cope Network is a resource that provides the health department with all the naloxone, also known as Narcan, needed for the free training they offer.

You can access these Narcan kits for free at the health department during their business hours or you can pick one up from one of their vending machines listed below:

• Corewell Health Center for Wellness
• Corewell Health Southwestern Medical Pediatric
• Corewell Health Southwestern Medical Primary
• Corewell Health Southwestern Medical Walk-in
• Berrien County Jail
• Carol’s Hope Engagement Center
• Berrien County Health Department/ South County Building