INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Indiana University has pledged to contribute $50 million to reduce and prevent the spike rate of fatal drug addiction across the State. The endeavor was announced as a part of the University’s esteemed Grand Challenges Initiative program which is dedicated to funding some high-profile research projects.
Drug issues have reached an overwhelming height in Indiana in recent times. The State is one among the four American States where drug overdose has increased more than four times since 1999. 1,100+ Hoosiers lost their lives to a drug overdose. The State hospitals report around 400 overdose cases every week. Last year, there were 619 opioid overdose death cases in Indiana. A recent report reveals a steep increase in opioid-related deaths in Vanderburgh County. The southwest country has witnessed 55 deaths from drug overdose in 2017 so far compared to 50 cases last year. The age of victims ranges from say 22 – 81.
Heroin overdose has sky-rocketed to three times from 2010-2015 and is one of the main reasons behind the increasing drug addiction deaths today. While heroin is immensely potent, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 times more powerful. It’s available both legally and illegally which has further abetted more fentanyl-induced deaths today.
“Drug addiction has surfaced up to a dire health crisis today,” noted Michael A. McRobbie, the honorable President of Indiana University while announcing about the $50 million pledge to fight the drug-terror. “It’s getting lethal for countless Hoosiers and creating a ruckus across communities all through the State.”
The latest pledge is a part of the new "Responding to the Addictions Crisis" initiative that was declared with the University Health President Mr. Dennis Murphy and Governor Eric Holocomb.
Mr. McRobbie has announced to distribute around $30 million within the coming six months to address the shortage of expert addiction professionals and extend the University’s partnership with various workforce development initiatives aimed to lessen drug addiction. The funding would also be utilized for the compilation of country-specific data on drug addiction and overdose. IU would source the researchers from a wide number of campuses, and the group would be guided by Robin Newhouse, the Dean of IU School of Nursing.
“We are looking forward to lessening the menacing mishaps of substance abuse issues through the grant challenge. Together we are aimed to reduce the number of tragic deaths caused by opioid overdose, and together we are committed to lessening the number of little ones born with the neonatal abstinence problems,” noted Mr. Newhouse.
Speaking further, Mr. Newhouse stressed on utilizing the grant for spreading awareness about the main causes behind addictions and overdoses.
“We are often faced questions on the reasons and process of addictions from our patients and people in our community. Clinicians also ask about better and more effective means to take care of those down with addiction problems. Together, we would gather an extensive understanding of social, behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that abet addiction and issues associated with it.”
Author: Kevin Leonard
Organization: The Recover
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