Is your Indy neighborhood at risk for overdose? Sign up for these text alerts to find out
INDIANAPOLIS — If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health or substance abuse problems, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for help.
How to sign up for 'bad batch' text alerts
To receive texts about bad drug batches or overdose spikes in Marion County, text SOAR to 765-358-7627.
The alert system was created as part of an effort by local agencies to prevent overdose deaths.
Texts will be sent when a bad drug batch is detected, when a neighborhood sees a spike in overdose or when police conduct a drug seizure in an area — a move that research has shown disrupts the drug supply and increases overdose. The program, called the Community Harm Reduction and Improved Outcomes Team (CHARIOT), is part of the statewide nonprofit Overdose Lifeline, which aims to help individuals impacted by substance-use disorders. The Office of Public Health and Safety has partnered with the organization.
A bad batch is considered a non-opioid substance that tests positive for fentanyl or xylazine, according to Overdose Lifeline.
When a bad batch or surge in overdose is detected in a neighborhood, local organizations will hold pop-up health events to provide fentanyl test strips and naloxone to people in the affected area.
Anyone in need of naloxone or fentanyl test strips, can also request them to be shipped for free through Overdose Lifeline’s website. The supplies can be delivered anonymously.
Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fentanyl in Indianapolis: Sign up for 'bad batch' alerts by zip code
