Quarterly reports from the Marion County Coroner’s Office and Marion County Public Health Department highlight that fentanyl remains the most common substance involved in drug-related deaths, accounting for 74% of the cases. However, it also reveals an encouraging statistic: the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Marion County has decreased nearly 50% from 2023 to 2024
Hoosiers have been facing fentanyl-related deaths for quite some time, and while I am pleased to see a decline in deaths caused by the drug, it is no time to become complacent.
We must remain vigilant in our fight to keep harmful drugs like fentanyl out of our communities.
That is why I authored Senate Bill 324, which would increase penalties for individuals dealing methamphetamine or fentanyl.
SB 324 is supported by Gov. Braun and holds those who deal life-ending or altering drugs more accountable for their actions. The bill has passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House of Representatives.
It is my pleasure to support a bill that increases the safety of every single Hoosier and adds stronger penalties for drug dealers who deal fentanyl or methamphetamine.
For more information on SB 324, click here.
State Sen. Aaron Freeman has represented Senate District 32, which includes portions of Johnson and Marion counties, since his election to the Senate in 2016. Freeman serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law and as a member of the Senate Committees on Appropriations, Insurance and Financial Institutions, and Judiciary.