TERRE HAUTE Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)- Indiana State University hosted a roundtable discussion Thursday morning about opioid abuse in the mid-west.
According to Drug Czar Jim Carroll, it is an ongoing crisis that needs clear, thought-out solutions.
He said small communities with lack of funding and recovery programs are hit the hardest.
Congressman Larry Bucshon noted that rural communities are some of the most affected populations in the crisis.
Bucshon said he is in favor of a needle exchange program as one of the solutions to the spread of communicable disease through lack of sanitary needles.
He said helping the addicted community isn’t helping a stranger; it’s helping families and other community members who may be struggling with this disease.
Also in the topics of discussion, more aid for social workers and students going into drug counseling to keep up with the nation wide demand.
Officials said in smaller, rural communities, social workers and counselors can be scarce.
They said if government allowed better loan relief programs for social work in rural areas in the nation, people may have a better fight against the disease with more resources.
