Heroin is a highly addictive, physically damaging drug that is spreading across Indiana. But it’s not limited to adult use. Teens in central Indiana also are making the dangerous decision to use heroin. A 2016 survey from the Indiana Prevention Resource Center shows heroin use among students in southern Indiana counties peaks during the junior year of high school.
| Have used heroin
in the past month (2016 IPRC Survey) |
Indiana | Southwest Indiana | Southeast Indiana |
| 7th Grade | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 8th Grade | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 9th Grade | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 10th Grade | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 11th Grade | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 12th Grade | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
In response to the heroin epidemic in Indiana, the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) and IU Health Paoli are hosting a forum to delve into this dangerous trend. The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, March 9 at Paoli Christian Church, 1700 West Hospital Road in Paoli.
Laci Giboney is a licensed social worker concentrating in mental health and addictions. Giboney also is former heroin addict who now works to help others battling addiction. After spending a decade in recovery to gain back control of her own life, Giboney can provide personal insight into the drug, the addiction it creates and how difficult it is to break the cycle. Giboney will be joined by Officer Paul Andry, an investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and a drug enforcement officer for Indiana State Police. Officer Andry will discuss current trends in and around Orange County and what officers are seeing when it comes to heroin use in the community.
As part of IYI’s Youth Worker Café program, the forum and lunch are free, but reservations are required. Please RSVP at www.iyi.org/ywc. If you have trouble with the link, contact IYI Statewide Outreach Manager Debbie Jones via email at djones@iyi.org. For more information on the event, contact IYI’s Southwest Outreach manager Joe Shrode at jshrode@iyi.org.
Youth Worker Cafés are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations that will benefit children.
