Drug & Alcohol Rehab For Winamac, Indiana

Winamac is located in northern Indiana, at the intersection of State Road 14 and Interstate 35. It falls within the Monroe Township of Polaski County, for which it also serves as the county seat. The town is known for its many historical landmarks, including the majestic Pulaski County Courthouse and Vurpillat’s Opera House.

Winamac is small in both size in population, covering an area of roughly 1.36 square miles. Approximately 2,318 people call Winamac home. The town has a high percentage of foreign-born residents, accounting for 81.9% of the population. Many non-citizens are drawn to the small town thanks to the low cost of living and the implementation of state programs for migrant and seasonal workers, particularly in the agro-food industry.

However, the economy in Winamac struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the median household income in Winamac is $43,571 annually, which is about 38% lower than the state median. Moreover, the poverty rate in Winamac is 23%, compared to just 12.3% statewide. This means nearly 1 in 4 residents of Winamac lives at or below the poverty line. [1]

Rising poverty has only worsened the ongoing substance abuse crisis in Winamac, Indiana. Based on the most recent data, meth and marijuana are the most commonly abused substances in the town. Winamac also sees the abuse of other addictive substances, such as alcohol, prescription opioids, cocaine, and heroin.

Continue reading to learn about substance abuse and addiction in Winamac, Indiana. And remember, if you or a loved one is fighting addiction in Winamac or the surrounding area, you can always reach out to Addiction Rehab Centers for help.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Winamac

Pulaski County has a population of just 12,385, meaning the town of Winamac accounts for 18.7% of the total county population. Winamac has the largest population of any town in the county by far, and as a result, the majority of substance abuse cases originate in the town of Winamac. This matters because counties in Indiana aggregate substance abuse cases (including arrests, overdoses, and fatalities), combining the data from all towns, cities, and non-incorporated communities within their borders. In this case, however, the majority of the data coming out of Pulaski County can be attributed to the town of Winamac.

Like most counties of its size in Indiana, Pulaski County records relatively few deaths caused by drug or alcohol overdoses. However, the county saw a dramatic spike in fatal overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The table below shows how deaths involving all drugs (including alcohol) have changed in the county over the past few years. [2]

*Data for 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 05/21/2025.

Between 2016 and 2019, fatal overdoses declined from 5 to just 1. However, like many counties, Pulaski County saw a very substantial spike in deaths in 2020, when 8 were recorded. Deaths remained high in 2021 (7 fatal overdoses) and 2022 (8 fatal overdoses). Fortunately, 2023 showed a sudden drop to just 2 fatal overdoses, though the provisional data for 2024 may indicate that fatal overdoses are on the rise again, as there have been 6. However, this figure could change once the data is finalized.

Non-fatal overdoses are far more common than fatal overdoses, and they often give us a better view of a substance abuse crisis in a small population like Winamac and the rest of Pulaski County. According to the CDC’s national database, there are roughly 50 non-fatal overdoses for every 1 fatal overdose. [3] Non-fatal overdoses also tend to be more accurate, as they are recorded via hospital discharges and emergency department visits involving addictive substances. The table below shows the relevant overdose data in Pulaski County between 2016 and 2024: [4]

*Data for 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 05/21/2025.

Between 2016 and 2021, non-fatal overdoses stayed at or above 35 in all but one year, when the figure dropped to 28 in 2018. Starting in 2022, Pulaski County recorded a more consistent decline in non-fatal overdoses. Since the data for 2024 is still provisional, we can’t assume that the figures will remain the same. However, between 2016 and 2023, non-fatal overdoses declined by 16.6%.

We also need to look at the correlation between fatal overdoses, non-fatal overdoses, and total overdoses (fatal plus non-fatal). In 2016, Pulaski County recorded 41 total overdoses, 5 of which were fatal (12.1%). In 2023, Pulaski County recorded 32 total overdoses, 2 of which were fatal (6.2%). Not only are the total overdoses and non-fatal overdoses declining, but the rate of fatalities also seems to be declining in Pulaski County. This could indicate that measures to combat substance abuse in Winamac and Pulaski County are effective.

Types of Substance Abuse in Winamac

In 2023 and 2024, meth and marijuana were the most abused substances in Pulaski County. While alcohol is the most abused substance in Indiana, it’s less commonly abused in Pulaski County, particularly in more recent years. Meanwhile, abuse associated with drugs like marijuana, crystal meth, and even heroin is on the rise. These trends are based on data acquired from arrest and re-arrest records involving addictive substances.

Here is the latest data from Indiana’s Next Level Recovery program showing the arrests involving different kinds of addictive substances between 2016 and 2024 in Pulaski County:

*Statistics for 2024 are still preliminary and do not account for the entire calendar year.

Total arrests involving addictive substances have declined in Pulaski County, which is in line with many other counties in Indiana. While the portion of arrests involving alcohol declined dramatically, the number and portion of marijuana and meth arrests increased. This means that, even as total arrests declined, the number of annual marijuana and meth arrests rose. The same is true (to a lesser degree) of arrests involving opioids. And though drug paraphernalia arrests have declined, the figures still remain high; these arrests are typically associated with meth or heroin abuse.