Crawfordsville, Indiana is less than an hour’s drive northeast of Indianapolis along Interstate 74. It resides in Montgomery County, and despite its relatively small population, Crawfordsville is the largest city within the county limits and serves as the county seat. Crawfordsville is known as a historical town, with beautiful buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and various museums and points of interest for visitors. Sadly, many of these buildings were destroyed by an unexpected fire in 2007 that garnered statewide media attention.
The economy is largely driven by local industrial plants, as well as institutions like Wabash College. Unfortunately, these have not been enough to support many people living in the area. The city of 16,479 people has a median household income of 47,918 (well below the median for Indiana) and a poverty rate of 20.7%. This means that more than 1 in every 5 residents of Crawfordsville lives below the poverty line. [1]
While substance abuse in Crawfordsville and the rest of Montgomery County cannot be entirely blamed on economic downturns, they have certainly been a factor. As job opportunities declined and wages stagnated, rates of substance abuse in the region increased. Anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a spike in substance abuse and addiction cases involving alcohol, prescription opioids, and illicit drugs like marijuana, crystal meth, and heroin.
Continue reading to learn about substance abuse and addiction in Crawfordsville, Indiana. If you or a loved one are fighting addiction in Crawfordsville, you can always reach out to Addiction Rehab Centers for help.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Crawfordsville
According to the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse, local leaders have identified meth and heroin as the two biggest drug-related problems that need to be tackled. Heavy marijuana use among younger residents is also concerning. [2] Alcohol and prescription opioid abuse have increased in Crawfordsville and Montgomery County in recent years, in line with trends that have been recorded across the state of Indiana. Approximately 23.8% of adults in Indiana report binge drinking regularly, and arrest and overdose records in Crawfordsville reflect similar figures. [3]
As a whole, the number of prescription opioids being prescribed in Montgomery County has declined. However, this decline has been slow, and the rate of opioid prescriptions and dispensations is still higher in Montgomery County than it is in the rest of Indiana. In Q4 of 2022, Montgomery County recorded 195.1 opioid dispensations per 1,000 residents, compared to 175.6 in Indiana. The most commonly prescribed opioids in the county in Q4 2022 included hydrocodone (3,080), naloxone (1,521), tramadol (1,042), and oxycodone (567).
Emergency room visits involving drug or alcohol overdose have generally increased in Montgomery County over the past few years. In 2016, there were 100 overdose emergency visits on record, compared to 141 in 2021. The preliminary data for 2022 and 2023 only shows 46 emergency room visits, but these numbers could change in the near future. As for inpatient hospitalizations involving overdoses in Montgomery County, the number of cases has actually declined. There were 30 overdose hospitalizations in 2016, compared to 27 in 2021, and a preliminary count of just 8 in 2022 and 2023.
While it may not be pleasant to think about, overdose deaths are one of the most useful statistics when gauging the severity of the substance abuse epidemic. Unfortunately, the data for drug and alcohol deaths is extremely limited in Montgomery County. Thus far, the county has only reported data to the state of Indiana for 2016 and part of 2023. However, Next Level Recovery has also worked with various local authorities to calculate annual overdose deaths. Between 2016 and 2021, the number of overdose deaths in Montgomery County rose from 6 to 11, but peaked at 18 in 2020. [4]
When evaluating these numbers, it’s necessary to consider the difference between the population of Crawfordsville and Montgomery County. Crawfordsville has a population of 16,479, while Montgomery County has a population of 37,941. This means that the city accounts for less than half of the county population. Nonetheless, based on estimates from Next Level Recovery and the Indiana Department of Health, nearly two-thirds of the substance abuse cases recorded in Montgomery County originated in the city of Crawfordsville.
Types of Substance Abuse in Crawfordsville
While local officials have named meth, heroin, and marijuana as the most problematic substances in the region, it’s important to look at the facts and figures. Here is the latest data from Indiana’s Next Level Recovery program showing the arrest data involving different kinds of addictive substances between 2015 and 2023 in Bartholomew County: [5]
Year | Total Arrests | Alcohol | Cocaine | Marijuana | Meth | Opioid | Drug Paraphernalia |
2015 | 1,029 | 14.8% | 0.2% | 12.7% | 8.0% | 1.5% | 37.1% |
2016 | 824 | 17.4% | 0.1% | 11.6% | 9.4% | 2.8% | 35.3% |
2017 | 908 | 11.0% | 0.3% | 14.2% | 13.8% | 2.5% | 32.6% |
2018 | 912 | 10.9% | 0.3% | 14.5% | 20.9% | 3.7% | 29.5% |
2019 | 789 | 11.5% | 0.8% | 15.0% | 27.0% | 3.8% | 30.8% |
2020 | 533 | 18.3% | 0.9% | 15.6% | 21.0% | 4.3% | 27.3% |
2021 | 682 | 13.2% | 0.9% | 12.5% | 28.2% | 3.3% | 28.9% |
2022 | 682 | 12.3% | 1.8% | 14.5% | 29.2% | 2.9% | 28.0% |
2023* | 913 | 11.2% | 0.9% | 25.8% | 24.7% | 0.9% | 25.6% |
*Statistics for 2023 are still preliminary and do not account for the entire calendar year.
The total number of drug or alcohol-related arrests declined between 2015 and 2022. Surprisingly, there was a spike in arrests in 2023, though these numbers are still preliminary. In any case, it is evidence that alcohol and cocaine arrests have remained relatively consistent over the years, while meth arrests have increased nearly three-fold. And while the county reports low numbers of opioid arrests, many of the drug paraphernalia arrests likely involved needles and other equipment associated with heroin abuse.
Crawfordsville Substance Abuse Resources
Crawfordsville might be a small city, but it manages a surprisingly high number of substance abuse resource programs and initiatives. Some of the most common programs include:
- Court Referral Program
- Prime for Life
- Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)
- Drug Court
- Veterans Treatment Court
The city also has a designated “Quick Response Team” to reduce the number of overdose deaths.
Additionally, Crawfordsville can rely on programs offered at the county level. Montgomery County is among the best counties in the state for the number of Indiana-sponsored initiatives it takes part in. It currently oversees all of the following initiatives for Crawfordsville and the rest of the county:
- Overdose Response Project
- Overdose Fatality Review Team
- Naloxone first responder training
- Naloxone distribution
- Non-syringe harm reduction program
These initiatives approach substance abuse, addiction, and the risk of overdose using a variety of methods to help save lives and deter local residents from abusing drugs and alcohol. For example, the overdose response project and overdose fatality review team analyze data coming from each city and county to see what measures can be taken to improve outcomes and reduce fatal overdoses. Other programs involve more “on the ground” initiatives. For instance, naloxone distribution ensures that people have access to life-saving drugs in the event of an opioid overdose, while naloxone first responder training helps make sure that EMTs and other personnel know how to administer naloxone safely.
Crawfordsville Drug Rehab & Alcohol Rehab
Crawfordsville is a historical city with lots of interesting things to do and see. Sadly, economic factors have exacerbated the ongoing substance abuse crisis in the region. While deaths have remained relatively low thanks in large part to city and county programs, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Many residents of Crawfordsville need a place to go to detox, rehabilitate, and ultimately rid themselves of addiction for good.
Fortunately, if live in Crawfordsville and you’re looking for addiction treatment options, Addiction Rehab Centers is just a 50-minute drive southwest of the city. At Addiction Rehab Centers, we offer the best possible care to ensure that you are safe and comfortable as soon as you walk through the door. We also offer personalized plans for recovery that can even take co-occurring mental health issues into account. By reaching out to our team, you can begin your journey to a brighter tomorrow — free from the grip of addiction.
If you or a loved one need help, don’t hesitate to reach out as soon as possible. Addiction Rehab Centers is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can contact us on our website or call us directly at 844-551-4673.
