A tragic record: Bartholomew County overdose deaths reach new high for third straight year

DRUG overdose deaths in Bartholomew County have once again risen to the highest levels on record, surpassing last year’s record-high annual death toll with two months left to spare.

The surge in fatal overdoses — the third consecutive year that overdose deaths have reached record highs — reflect what local officials described as a “worsening overdose crisis” that is being fueled by a more dangerous drug supply and the increasing prevalence of deadly fentanyl in Columbus.

Thirty-five people in Bartholomew County have died from drug overdoses so far this year — putting the county on pace for around 42 fatal overdoses this year — according to figures from the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office. By comparison, there were 33 overdose deaths during all of last year and 31 in 2020, both of which were records at the time.

“An overwhelming majority (of the deaths) have fentanyl in the (toxicology) results,” said Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting of this year’s death toll. “However, it’s critical to remember that most overdoses are not a result of one drug in particular.”

‘No idea what they’re using’

Fentanyl use has surged across the country, including in Bartholomew County, causing officials to sound the alarm, with the drug now being increasingly laced with other drugs, including methamphetamine and counterfeit pills, because it is cheaper and more powerful, leading to a surge in what officials believe are unintentional overdose deaths.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is more potent that local officials say has largely fueled the historic rise in overdose deaths in Bartholomew County over the past three years. The drug has quickly become “the primary fatal drug in drug overdoses,” local officials said in earlier interviews.

The drug has “essentially replaced heroin” in Bartholomew County to the point that officials at Columbus Regional Health’s Treatment and Support Center, or TASC, rarely have patients who test positive for an opioid besides fentanyl, said TASC Medical Director Dr. Kevin Terrell.

In addition, many people seeking help for substance use disorders say they are using opioid pain pills, which almost invariably contain fentanyl or sometimes benzodiazepines, which are depresssants like Xanax that are used to treat anxiety and other medical conditions, Terrell said.

TASC provides a range of outpatient treatments for substance use disorders, including medication-assisted treatment in certain cases.

At the same time, local law enforcement said that they have been seizing counterfeit pills that have been made to resemble prescription medications, including Xanax. In April, Bartholomew County Jail officials found “9.5 blue pills with the letter ‘M’ on them” that tested positive for fentanyl while they were booking a suspect into jail, according to court filings.

“We are seeing more urine drug screens that are positive for multiple drugs,” Terrell said. “Obviously, the use of one drug can be lethal. However, combining drugs is exponentially more dangerous. The biggest risk we are seeing today is that many people are unknowingly using multiple drugs at a time. The drugs may come in the form of a powder or a pill that contains any combination of methamphetamine, fentanyl and a benzodiazepine.”

National crisis

The updated figures from the coroner’s office come as U.S. drug overdoses soar to record highs. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, The Associated Press reported.

The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15% increase from the previous record, set the year before. The CDC reviews death certificates and then makes an estimate to account for delayed and incomplete reporting.

U.S. overdose deaths have risen most years for more than two decades. The increase began in the 1990s with overdoses involving opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl.

Last year, overdoses involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surpassed 71,000, up 23% from the year before. There also was a 23% increase in deaths involving cocaine and a 34% increase in deaths involving meth and other stimulants.

Locally, one person in Bartholomew County has died from a drug overdose, on average, every 11 days for the past three years. More people the county have died from overdoses since 2020 than during the five-year period from 2015 to 2019 — and there appears to be no end in sight.

“Unfortunately, I expect overdoses to continue at a high rate going forward,” Terrell said. “The illegal drug supply in our community — all communities — is becoming more dangerous. People have no idea what they’re actually using. Some people who use methamphetamine may unintentionally use fentanyl. If their bodies aren’t used to having opioids in them, they’re very likely to overdose.”