Petersburg is a small city in southwest Indiana, and a common stopping point for people traveling between Indianapolis and Evansville. Residing in the Washington Township of Pike County, Petersburg also serves as the county seat. Petersburg residents benefit from convenient access to major roadways, namely Interstate 69, as well as the natural beauty of the nearby White River to the north, and Prides Creek Park (and Prides Creek Lake) to the south.
Petersburg is home to 2,260 people (as of the latest census), though the population has been in a slow decline for years. Despite the declining population, Petersburg and the rest of Pike County enjoy a relatively prosperous economy based around agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare. The median household income in Pike County, for example, is $66,250 per year, which is only slightly lower than the state median. Additionally, the city and county have a poverty rate of 10.8%, which is nearly two percentage points lower than Indiana’s poverty rate of 12.3%. [1]
Despite Petersburg, Indiana’s natural beauty and strong economy, the city grapples with a looming issue every single day: substance abuse. Like many small cities in Indiana, Petersburg has not been able to escape the greater substance abuse crisis sweeping through Indiana, the Midwest, and most other states and regions of the country.
Based on the most recent data, meth is the most commonly abused substance in Petersburg, Indiana. The city also sees the abuse of other addictive substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, prescription opioids, cocaine, and heroin.
Continue reading to learn about substance abuse and addiction in Petersburg, Indiana. And remember, if you or a loved one is fighting addiction in Petersburg or the surrounding area, you can always reach out to Addiction Rehab Centers for help.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Petersburg
Petersburg is certainly a small city, but it also resides in a very small county. Pike County boasts a population of just 12,116, which means that Petersburg residents account for 18.6% of all residents in the county. Petersburg is the only incorporated city in the county, and there are only two incorporated towns, Spurgeon and Winslow, with populations of 207 and 764, respectively. This means that most of the county’s substance abuse cases originate in Petersburg. By some estimates, Petersburg may contribute more than half of all arrests, overdoses, and fatalities involving addictive substances in Pike County.
This matters due to the way substance abuse data is collected in Indiana. Towns and cities do not record their own substance abuse data. Instead, the state requires counties to record this data and aggregate the available data from all municipalities and designated areas within their purviews. In other words, when the data is published, substance abuse cases originating in cities like Petersburg are combined with cases originating in every other part of the county. However, since Petersburg makes up such a large percentage of the county and its substance abuse cases, it’s still highly beneficial to evaluate the county-level data.
Carroll County has a population of 20,747, which means that Delphi accounts for about 14.2% of the entire county population. Delphi is the only incorporated city in the county and has the largest population of any municipality within Carroll County by far. By some estimates, Delphi contributes more than 30% of all substance abuse cases recorded in the county. This means that evaluating county-level data still offers a clear picture of the substance abuse crisis in the city of Delphi, Indiana.
Even taking its small population into consideration, Pike County sees very few fatal overdoses. The table below shows how deaths involving all drugs (including alcohol) have changed in the county over the past few years. [2]
Year | Total Deaths | % Change From Previous Year |
2016 | 2 | N/A |
2017 | 1 | Decreased by 50.0% |
2018 | 0 | N/A |
2019 | 3 | N/A |
2020 | 2 | Decreased by 33.3% |
2021 | 1 | Decreased by 50.0% |
2022 | 1 | N/A |
2023 | 1 | N/A |
*2024 | <5 | N/A |
*Data for 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 05/21/2025.
As you can see, there have been a small number of fatal overdoses in Petersburg and the rest of Pike County. The county recorded just 1 death per year or less in more than half of the years in the dataset. Fatalities peaked at 3 in 2019, before declining in 2020 and every year after. While the data for 2024 is still provisional, it indicates that there has been at least 1 death, but no more than 5 recorded thus far. Based on historical trends, we expect there to be few fatal overdoses, even once the 2024 data is finalized.
In a small population, fatal overdoses often don’t provide enough information on their own to allow us to draw any conclusions. While fatalities are extremely important to record and take into consideration, non-fatal overdoses are far more common, and therefore more telling when examining the severity of a substance abuse crisis. Additionally, non-fatal overdose data is often more accurate because it’s collected via hospital discharges and emergency department visits involving addictive substances. The table below shows the relevant overdose data in Pike County between 2016 and 2024: [3]
Year | Total Hospital Discharges & Emergency Department Visits | % Change From Previous Year |
2016 | 8 | N/A |
2017 | 11 | Increased by 37.5% |
2018 | 11 | N/A |
2019 | 23 | Increased by 109.1% |
2020 | 16 | Decreased by 30.4% |
2021 | 18 | Increased by 12.5% |
2022 | 16 | Decreased by 11.1% |
2023 | 19 | Increased by 18.8% |
*2024 | 20 | N/A |
*Data for 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 05/21/2025.
Unlike fatal overdoses, which are too few to produce a measurable trend, non-fatal overdoses show a clear upward trajectory in Pike County. Between 2016 and 2023 (the most recent year with finalized data), the number of non-fatal overdoses increased by 137.5%. Even though the number of overdoses per year seems relatively small, they are growing rapidly, and they are getting unusually high for a county with such a small population.
Types of Substance Abuse in Petersburg
In 2023 and 2024, meth was the most abused substance in Pike County. This is a common trend in southern Indiana, though many cities and counties see higher rates of alcohol and marijuana abuse than Pike County has, particularly in the last few years. In any case, 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 Pike County:
Year | Total Arrests | Alcohol | Cocaine | Marijuana | Meth | Opioid | Drug Paraphernalia |
2016 | 197 | 124 | 1 | 28 | 42 | 3 | 60 |
2017 | 209 | 114 | 1 | 71 | 67 | 6 | 72 |
2018 | 274 | 106 | 10 | 126 | 99 | 9 | 124 |
2019 | 243 | 94 | 2 | 95 | 74 | 4 | 76 |
2020 | 195 | 55 | 3 | 87 | 82 | 5 | 79 |
2021 | 192 | 59 | 1 | 79 | 89 | 3 | 87 |
2022 | 117 | 44 | 2 | 26 | 57 | 1 | 46 |
2023 | 177 | 37 | 3 | 42 | 102 | 10 | 58 |
2024* | 191 | 47 | 2 | 64 | 107 | 7 | 73 |
*Statistics for 2024 are still preliminary and do not account for the entire calendar year.
Pike County records high numbers of arrests involving addictive substances when compared to its small population. In years past (2016 through 2019), alcohol arrests were high, which aligned with most other counties in the state. However, alcohol-related arrests have dropped off dramatically, starting in 2020. Over the same period, marijuana arrests have remained moderately high, though they’ve varied from one year to the next, while the number of cocaine and prescription opioid arrests has remained low.
The most drastic and consistent change has in Pike County has been the rise in meth arrests. Between 2016 and 2023, Pike County saw a 142.8% increase in meth arrests. The provisional data for 2024 indicates that meth arrests are continuing to rise. It’s also important to note that drug paraphernalia arrests have remained consistently high over the years, and these arrests are most often linked to crystal meth or heroin abuse.
Petersburg Substance Abuse Resources
The city of Petersburg does not have any substance abuse resources to combat the addiction crisis or help those struggling with a substance use disorder. Instead, it relies on county and state-level programs for assistance. This is very common in Indiana, where the state manages most efforts to fight substance abuse via county administrators.
Pike County put forward the following Vision Statement as part of its Comprehensive Community Plan, an initiative under the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse: \
“CEDA’s [Commission to End Drug Abuse] vision is a community where misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs is not easily accessible or socially acceptable.”
As well as the following Mission Statement:
“CEDA’s mission is to reduce the incidence, prevalence, costs, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and abuse in Pike County, so as to improve the quality of life for all citizens. Our mission can be accomplished through the efforts of citizens working together in a comprehensive manner involving all elements of our respective communities.” [4]
Indiana also gives counties the opportunity to participate in up to 7 programs designed to educate the public on the dangers of substance abuse and provide direct support to reduce overdoses and deaths. Unfortunately, Pike County doesn’t participate in any of these programs as of June 2025.
Petersburg Drug Rehab & Alcohol Rehab
Petersburg is a beautiful city to call home. It’s surrounded by nature, enjoys a bustling economy, and even has easy access to larger cities like Indianapolis and Evansville. However, these benefits have not stopped the proliferation of illicit drugs and the worsening of the substance abuse crisis in Petersburg and the rest of Pike County. To make matters worse, there are very few local programs to help guide people to detox or rehabilitation. As a result, many residents of Petersburg feel as if they have nowhere to turn for help.
Fortunately, if you or a loved one lives in the town of Petersburg, Indiana, and is looking for addiction treatment options, Addiction Rehab Centers is just a phone call or a two-hour drive away. Located in Indianapolis, Addiction Rehab Centers is among the top detox and rehab facilities in the region. Offering comprehensive treatments for patients at every level of their recovery journey, our highly trained staff will help you take the necessary steps to leave addiction in the rearview mirror. We even specialize in dual-diagnosis treatments for co-occurring mental health disorders. 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 needs 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.
