Statistics Report · Updated July 2026
Indiana Substance Abuse Statistics
Indiana just recorded its third straight year of falling overdose deaths — the state's lowest rate since 2016 — yet deaths remain above the national rate and fentanyl still drives most of them. Every number below links to its primary source at the CDC or Indiana Department of Health.
1,618
Indiana overdose deaths in 2024 — down 25.8% in one year
Indiana DOH
-40.5%
decline in overdose deaths from the 2021 peak of 2,718
Indiana DOH
~69%
of 2024 fatal overdoses involved opioids
Indiana DOH
13,043
overdose-related ER visits in Indiana in 2024
Indiana DOH
Overdose Deaths
Indiana Overdose Deaths Are Falling — Fast
In 2024, 1,618 Indiana residents died from unintentional or undetermined-intent drug overdoses — down from 2,130 in 2023, a 25.8% one-year decline (32.5 to 24.1 per 100,000) and the state's lowest fatal overdose rate since 2016. From the 2021 peak of 2,718 deaths, Indiana is down 40.5%. CDC provisional data show the decline continuing: 1,376 deaths in the 12 months ending January 2026, another 15.9% drop year over year.
| Year | Overdose deaths | Rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,235 | 35.0 |
| 2021 (peak) | 2,718 | 41.7 |
| 2022 | 2,567 | 39.2 |
| 2023 | 2,130 | 32.5 |
| 2024 | 1,618 | 24.1 |
The bad news: Indiana's 24.1 per 100,000 still runs above the provisional national rate of 22.1. Beyond deaths, overdoses caused 13,043 emergency department visits and 5,064 hospitalizations in 2024 (ED visits are down 32% from their 2021 peak). For a county-by-county deep dive, see our State of Addiction in Indiana annual report.
Sources: Indiana DOH Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report 2024 (Table A.1); CDC VSRR provisional counts; Indiana DOH ED/hospitalization report 2020–2024.
Fentanyl & Methamphetamine
What's Driving Indiana's Overdose Crisis
~69%
of 2024 fatal overdoses involved opioids — synthetic opioids like fentanyl remain the leading substance detected
~38%
involved psychostimulants such as methamphetamine (excluding cocaine)
-29.8%
drop in synthetic-opioid deaths in the 12 months ending Jan 2026 (701 deaths, ~51% of the total)
Illicit fentanyl, its analogs, and methamphetamine drive the overdose crisis in Indiana, and many deaths involve both. Fentanyl's share is finally shrinking — synthetic-opioid deaths fell from 998 to 701 in the latest provisional year, slightly below the ~54% national share. Learn about treatment for fentanyl, opioids, and methamphetamine in Indiana.
Sources: Indiana DOH Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report 2024; CDC VSRR provisional counts (dataset xkb8-kh2a).
County Data
The Hardest-Hit Indiana Counties
Wayne County had Indiana's highest stable overdose death rate in 2024 at 67.1 per 100,000 — nearly triple the statewide rate. Marion County (Indianapolis) recorded the most total deaths, 397, though that's down 43% from its 2021 peak of 699.
| County (2024) | Overdose death rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| Wayne | 67.1 |
| Delaware | 47.6 |
| Floyd | 44.7 |
| Marion (Indianapolis) | 40.6 |
| Madison | 38.2 |
| Indiana statewide | 24.1 |
Urban counties (25.1 per 100,000) outpace rural ones (20.7), but both fell sharply from 2023 (34.1 and 28.0). See which counties lack local treatment options in our Indiana Treatment Desert Map, or find treatment in Richmond (Wayne County) and Indianapolis.
Source: Indiana DOH Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report 2024 (Appendix C).
Demographics
Who Is Dying — and Who Ends Up in the ER
2×
Indiana men died of overdose at more than double the rate of women in 2024 — 32.6 vs 15.6 per 100,000
39.0
overdose deaths per 100,000 among Black Hoosiers vs 22.8 among White Hoosiers (2024, age-adjusted)
35–44
the age group with Indiana's highest overdose death rate (52.0 per 100,000, all intents)
25–34
the age group with the highest overdose ER-visit rate (288.1 per 100,000 in 2024)
Sources: Indiana DOH Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report 2024 (Appendix B); Indiana DOH ED report 2020–2024.
Youth Substance Use
Youth Substance Use Is at Record Lows — With Caveats
The 2024 Indiana Youth Survey (60,000+ students) found substance use falling across nearly every grade and substance. Past-month use among 12th graders: alcohol 15.6%, marijuana 9.9%, vaping 9.6% — vaping is down 19 percentage points from its 28.6% peak in 2018.
- Perception gap: 12th graders believed 47.2% of their classmates drank monthly; only 15.6% actually did. They guessed 45.2% used marijuana; 9.9% did.
- Parents are the top source of alcohol for younger drinkers — 32.8% of 7th-grade drinkers got it from a parent or guardian.
- 62.4% of 12th graders see no or slight risk in weekly marijuana use.
- Per the 2023 YRBS, 26.5% of Indiana high schoolers were offered, sold, or given drugs on school property, and 13.3% have misused prescription pain medicine.
- Teen overdose deaths remain elevated: deaths among Hoosiers 15–19 quadrupled from 12 in 2019 to 54 in 2022 and stayed at 53 in 2023 — even as adult deaths fell.
- Nationally, teen use is at historic lows: 66% of US 12th graders abstained from alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine entirely in the past 30 days (Monitoring the Future, 2025).
Parents can compare Indiana treatment programs for adolescents or read our guide for families of someone struggling with addiction.
Sources: Indiana Youth Survey 2024; Indiana DOH 2023 YRBS; Indiana DOH Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report 2023 (Table A.2); NIDA Monitoring the Future 2025.
References
Sources & Methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a government or nationally recognized primary source, linked below. Final state counts come from the Indiana Department of Health; the most recent 12-month figures are CDC provisional estimates and may be revised. Last reviewed July 2026.
- Indiana Department of Health, Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report, 2024
- Indiana Department of Health, Drug Overdose ED Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, 2020–2024
- CDC NCHS, VSRR Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts (12-month ending, Indiana)
- Indiana Department of Health, Fatal Overdose and Suicide Report, 2023
- Indiana Youth Survey 2024 Executive Summary (Prevention Insights, Indiana University)
- Indiana Department of Health, 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
- Indiana Department of Health, Highlights from the 2024 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey
- SAMHSA, NSDUH 2023–2024 State-Specific Tables — Indiana
- America’s Health Rankings — Youth E-Cigarette Use in Indiana (2023 YRBS)
- NIH NIDA, Monitoring the Future 2025 Survey Release
Behind Every Number Is Someone Who Needs Help
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