Located nearly 100 miles northeast of central Indianapolis, Portland is a small city and the seat of Jay County. The city enjoys easy access to surrounding cities, as it is situated at the meeting point between Interstate 27 and Highway 67. The Salamonie River also runs directly through the city and Portland is known for its various riverside parks and recreational areas.
With a population of just 6,323, Portland is not a large city, nor is it home to any major industry. Much of the local economy depends on retail and healthcare, with a large percentage of residents commuting to work outside of the city. Unfortunately, the city’s economy has not been as strong as it once was and has struggled to combat inflation and the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The median household income in Portland, Indiana is $45,431, which falls well below the state median of $70,051. Moreover, the poverty rate is 16.7% in Portland, compared to 12.3% in all of Indiana. [1]
The difficult economic situation has only worsened another issue that has been hidden in the shadows for many years: substance abuse. Hundreds of individuals and families in Portland and the rest of Jay County fight addiction on a daily basis. Based on the most recent data, alcohol, marijuana, and meth are the most commonly abused substances in Portland, Indiana. The city also sees the abuse of other addictive substances, such as prescription opioids, cocaine, and heroin.
Continue reading to learn about substance abuse and addiction in Portland, Indiana. And remember, if you or a loved one are fighting addiction in Portland or the surrounding area, you can always reach out to Addiction Rehab Centers for help.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Portland
Portland is one of many small cities in Indiana that utilizes county-level administrators to collect and aggregate its substance abuse data. This means that the city’s cases are combined with cases originating in nearby cities and towns like Dunkirk and Redkey. However, Portland is still the largest city in the county by population and accounts for roughly 30.4% of the county’s 20,478 residents. In addition to its size in relation to the county, Portland also contributes a higher percentage of substance abuse cases, including arrests, overdoses, and fatalities, than any other city or town in Jay County. By some estimates, more than 60% of all substance abuse cases recorded in the county originate in Portland.
To evaluate the severity of the substance abuse crisis, we must look at the most severe cases first. This often means identifying how many people are dying as a direct or indirect result of addiction. While it’s difficult to find a consistent pattern in fatal overdoses in Jay County, it is clear that the number of deaths has generally increased since the state began publishing this kind of data in 2016. [2] The table below shows how deaths involving all drugs (including alcohol) have changed in the county over the past few years.
Year | Total Deaths | % Change From Previous Year |
2016 | 4 | N/A |
2017 | 15 | Increased by 275.0% |
2018 | 12 | Decreased by 20.0% |
2019 | 9 | Decreased by 25.0% |
2020 | 6 | Decreased by 33.3% |
2021 | 13 | Increased by 116.7% |
2022 | 8 | Decreased by 38.5% |
*2023 | 11 | N/A |
*2024 | 0 | N/A |
*Data for 2023 and 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 09/04/2024.
Portland has been plagued by years of extremely high death counts followed or preceded by relatively low death counts. In 2016, for example, there were only 4 fatal overdoses. The very next year, the county recorded 15 fatal overdoses, the highest of all years between 2016 and 2024. After a decline in deaths between 2018 and 2020, deaths jumped back up again in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Though the data for 2023 and 2024 is still preliminary, there have been no deaths recorded in 2024, indicating that fatal overdoses could once again be in decline. However, when just looking at the data between 2016 and 2022 (the most recent year with finalized data), the number of fatal overdoses has doubled.
Non-fatal overdoses are far more common than fatal overdoses, which makes non-fatal overdoses a more useful tool in evaluating a substance abuse crisis in a low-population city or county. It’s also easier to collect non-fatal overdoses with a greater sense of accuracy, as they are recorded via hospital discharges and emergency department visits involving addictive substances. The table below shows the relevant overdose data in Jay County between 2016 and 2024: [3]
Year | Total Hospital Discharges & Emergency Department Visits | % Change From Previous Year |
2016 | 104 | N/A |
2017 | 143 | Increased by 37.5% |
2018 | 121 | Decreased by 15.4% |
2019 | 94 | Decreased by 22.3% |
2020 | 63 | Decreased by 33.3% |
2021 | 81 | Increased by 28.6% |
2022 | 39 | Decreased by 51.9% |
*2023 | 44 | N/A |
*2024 | 12 | N/A |
*Data for 2023 and 2024 is provisional and may be subject to change. The last date that data was collected was 09/04/2024.
As you can see from the table, non-fatal overdoses have steadily declined since 2016. This is generally a good sign, however, it’s vital to examine the data in tandem with fatal overdoses. For example, 2016 recorded a total of 108 overdoses — 104 non-fatal and 4 fatal. This means that fatal overdoses only accounted for 3.8% of all overdoses in Jay County for that year. By 2022, the total number of overdoses on record dropped to just 47 — 39 non-fatal and 8 fatal. This means that, for the last year with finalized data, fatal overdoses accounted for 20.5% of all overdoses on record. This is a startling shift that could indicate an increase in the abuse of multiple substances or a lack of resources to seek out help and rehabilitation in the area.
Types of Substance Abuse in Portland
In 2023 and 2024, alcohol, marijuana, and meth were the most abused substances in Jay County. These are the three most abused substances throughout the state of Indiana, so Portland’s data is on par with many other cities. We should note, however, that this data is based on arrests and re-arrests on record since 2016. While this does provide an overview of the different types of substances being abused, it does not include the abuse of substances that do not involve a crime or arrest.
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 Jay County:
Year | Total Arrests | Alcohol | Cocaine | Marijuana | Meth | Opioid | Drug Paraphernalia |
2016 | 413 | 160 | 9 | 109 | 39 | 98 | 170 |
2017 | 346 | 143 | 3 | 87 | 63 | 54 | 151 |
2018 | 408 | 119 | 12 | 135 | 123 | 48 | 202 |
2019 | 355 | 76 | 6 | 144 | 145 | 56 | 209 |
2020 | 286 | 66 | 5 | 87 | 111 | 44 | 177 |
2021 | 281 | 42 | 3 | 108 | 133 | 48 | 174 |
2022 | 221 | 42 | 6 | 94 | 109 | 31 | 129 |
2023* | 170 | 40 | 2 | 59 | 76 | 30 | 102 |
2024* | 127 | 35 | 1 | 34 | 47 | 16 | 64 |
*Statistics for 2023 and 2024 are still preliminary and do not account for the entire calendar year(s).
Total arrests involving addictive substances have decreased substantially between 2016 and 2024. Over the same period, all types of substances observed in the table above declined based on arrest and re-arrest records. However, the substances that were most commonly abused in 2023 and 2024 were alcohol, marijuana, and meth. Opioids are also surprisingly commonly abused in Jay County, with nearly as many arrests in 2023 as there were for alcohol-related offenses. While it is a good sign that fewer substance abuse arrests are occurring in general, it’s not a definitive sign that addiction is becoming less common in Portland or the rest of Jay County.
Portland Substance Abuse Resources
Portland does not have any of its own programs to combat or prevent substance abuse. Like most cities of its size, it depends heavily on county and state resources. The Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition works as a preventative organization that coordinates with state and local authorities to spread awareness of drug abuse, educate youth on the dangers of addiction, and ultimately improve the well-being of individuals and families in Jay County. [4] Additionally, Jay County takes part in 2 of the 7 state-approved programs to fight substance abuse: the IN CARES ECHO Program and the Overdose Fatality Review Team.
The former program uses videoconferencing and other communication resources to help connect experts from across the state in an effort to analyze data and fight substance abuse. The Overdose Fatality Review Team is a more localized initiative that specifically evaluates data at the town, city, and county levels (and coming out of the region at large) to recommend strategies and legislation that could ultimately reduce overdose deaths.
Portland Drug Rehab & Alcohol Rehab
Portland, Indiana is a beautiful city with a long history and strong presence as the county seat of Jay County. Sadly, substance abuse and addiction have put a dark cloud over the city and its residents. Every year, more and more people succumb to substance abuse, and there are very few local programs to help stop this growing epidemic. As a result, many residents of Portland feel alone in their battle with addiction, with nowhere to turn for help.
Fortunately, if you or a loved one live in Portland, Indiana, and are 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 one of the best drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in the region, providing a wide array of services to ensure that patients can get clean and stay clean for good. Our team of experts can help you or a loved one from the first day of detox, through inpatient and outpatient detox, all the way to aftercare support and beyond. 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 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.
