(AP) — Gov. Eric Holcomb says Indiana’s future success is threatened by opioid-related addiction in the state.
The Republican wrote a weekend opinion piece that appeared in newspapers, including the Indianapolis Star . He says state officials must “aggressively” attack substance abuse, but there’s no one solution.
He’s calling for prevention, treatment and enforcement as the approach.
Holcomb says the epidemic threatens the state’s economy and workforce.
He says opioid overdose deaths jumped up 52 percent between 2015 and 2016. During the same time, drug-related arrests by Indiana State Police spiked by more than 40 percent.
Last month, Holcomb named a new state health commissioner whose focus will include reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. Dr. Kristina Box will start in her new role on Oct. 16.
