Heroin is becoming the most abused drug in Indiana.
In 2013, there were 152 deaths linked to heroin, an increase from 2003 when there were three.
In Madison County, drug raids have netted nearly 50 dealers and users in the last two years. They have dealt mostly in heroin.
So it's more than right for Gov. Mike Pence to create a task force to battle drug abuse in Indiana. The 21-member group is to evaluate resources in the state and identify gaps in treatment, prevention and enforcement of programs, among other assignments.
Drug abuse takes in more than heroin.
Madison County is fourth in the state for drug-related deaths for the years 2009 to 2013. The deaths are not limited to heroin.
Also, the HIV outbreak has forced Hoosier counties, including Madison, to set up needle exchange programs to combat the spread of the disease through needle use.
And the Indiana Department of Child Services recently received Pence's authorization to hire 113 additional caseworkers as the agency director noticed an increase in child abuse and neglect cases “to a large degree fueled by drugs.”
In Indiana, fighting illicit drugs has been handled piecemeal by localities as they see fit, and as they are financially able.
The 21-member task force, made up of experts in medicine and treatment, will make recommendations on ways to improve resources.
The group's efforts should aim for a concerted statewide effort. Services can't be available to urban residents and not accessible in rural communities. Prevention needs to take in Hoosiers, particularly youth. Penalties shouldn't focus on prison time.
Keep in mind, however, there should also be concerns that a task force would recommend Indiana have better tracking procedures for drug-related deaths or pushing physicians and health center to evaluate their client policies. Merely gathering statistics and paperwork is not enough.
In addressing heroin abuse, legislators must:
• Prevent Hoosiers from starting heroin in the first place by identifying people who are high risk and by tightening prescription practices.
• Reduce addiction through counseling, behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatments.
• Expand the use of naloxone, which can save lives of people who have an opioid overdose. Naloxone offers hope in reversing heroin use.
Those are starts. Funding will be crucial.
There are critics who doubt Pence's sincerity. Some are pointing fingers, noting that the epidemic has been with us for more than a year. Others question whether the task force will appeal to a Statehouse mood that low-level offenders should receive harsher sentences, which only perpetuates the cycle of drug abuse.
Back in the 1960s, heroin was used predominantly by young city-dwelling men, many in their mid-teens whose first opioid was heroin, according to a 2014 nationwide analysis.
More recent users are in their early 20s and living in less urban areas. Most were introduced to heroin through prescription drugs.
The impact of drug abuse, and particularly the heroin epidemic, is spreading through all Indiana communities.
For now, Hoosiers should be thankful that the crisis has found a spot on the governor's agenda.