FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Jay County ranks second and Grant County fourth in Indiana for accidental overdose death rates, according to a new study examining six years of federal data, with several other Northeast Indiana counties also appearing among the state’s highest-ranking communities. The analysis, conducted by Ojai Recovery, a substance abuse treatment provider, found Jay County had an accidental overdose death rate of 59.9 per 100,000 residents from 2019 through 2024. Grant County recorded a rate of 58.9 per 100,000, placing it fourth statewide. The study also found Indiana had 17 counties among the 500 highest accidental overdose death rates in the country, underscoring the continued impact of fatal overdoses across communities of varying sizes. Researchers analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comparing accidental overdose deaths with county populations to calculate rates per 100,000 residents. The six-year period was used to compare counties more consistently, rather than relying solely on the number of deaths in a single year. Jay County recorded 12 accidental overdose deaths during the period examined, while Grant County recorded 39, according to the study. Although Grant County had more than three times as many deaths as Jay County, its calculated rate was slightly lower. The difference illustrates how population size affects county-level rankings: a smaller number of deaths can translate into a higher rate in a less-populated county. Marion County ranked third statewide, with 59.2 accidental overdose deaths per 100,000 residents. The county recorded 573 deaths over the six-year period, the largest total among the top three counties. Scott County ranked first in Indiana, with a rate of 73 deaths per 100,000 residents, based on 18 deaths from 2019 through 2024. Other counties near Northeast Indiana also appeared prominently in the statewide results. Delaware County ranked sixth, with 53.4 accidental overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, while Randolph County ranked 11th at 45.4. Blackford County ranked 20th, with a rate of 34.5 per 100,000 residents. Farther down the statewide list, Whitley County ranked 46th at 23.6, and Kosciusko County ranked 47th, also at 23.6. Those figures put several communities in and around Northeast Indiana among the counties identified in the study, although the results represent deaths accumulated over six years and should not be interpreted as a measurement of current-year conditions. Across Indiana, Jennings County ranked fifth at 57.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, followed by Delaware County at 53.4 and Clark County at 51.8. Wayne County ranked eighth at 48.4, while Fayette and Floyd counties rounded out the top 10 at 45.9 and 45.8, respectively. The study also included Grant, Delaware and Randolph counties among the communities with elevated rates relative to the rest of Indiana. However, county rankings alone do not explain why overdose deaths occur or establish what factors are driving differences between communities. Jason Landver, CEO of Ojai Recovery, said the findings should prompt a broader discussion about community resources, poverty and access to treatment. “Looking at the figures across counties in different states, it’s clear that this isn’t down to individual choices,” Landver said. He pointed to poverty and limited access to physical and mental health services as issues that can affect communities experiencing higher overdose death rates. Landver also raised concerns about the changing drug supply, including 7-OH, a concentrated form of 7-hydroxymitragynine associated with kratom products. He warned that emerging substances can complicate efforts to prevent overdoses and connect people with treatment. His comments reflect the treatment provider’s perspective; the county rankings themselves do not identify which substances were responsible for the deaths recorded in Jay or Grant counties. The CDC’s county-level overdose data provide information on deaths and rates across the country, allowing researchers and public health officials to examine differences between communities. The agency notes that some small-area rates may rely on statistical modeling when death counts are low, which is important to consider when interpreting results for less-populated counties. For Northeast Indiana, the findings provide a historical snapshot of the toll of accidental overdoses in Jay, Grant, Delaware, Randolph and other area counties. They do not, by themselves, establish whether deaths have risen or fallen since 2024. The study’s figures cover 2019 through 2024, described by Ojai Recovery as the most recently available six-year period used in its analysis. Some county death totals were suppressed or presented as ranges to protect privacy when counts were small. Ojai Recovery says addressing overdose deaths requires attention to prevention, treatment access and support for communities facing economic and health care challenges. The organization’s analysis adds to the broader picture of how fatal overdoses have affected Indiana counties over the past several years. Find the full study here. The post Jay and Grant Counties Rank Among Indiana’s Highest for Accidental Overdose Death Rates appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less