Former first grade teacher hopes her story of drug addiction helps lift the stigma of opioid abuse so others will seek help.

South Vermillion Principal Don Harman believes the work of Overdose Lifeline is vital. "I would encourage every high school principal to contact them and have them speak to your student body."

Many employers who test for drugs don't screen employees for opioids. Yet opioid abuse is linked to problems with workplace productivity and safety.

Indiana's mounting drug crisis has captured the attention of the governor and lawmakers over the last year. Chief Justice Loretta Rush says it's no different for Indiana's trial court judges.

Senate Republicans will push this session to make it easier for prosecutors to try to convict people as drug dealers.

As Indiana government and health officials grapple with the state's ongoing drug abuse crisis, they say the problem begins and ends, in many ways, with the issue of stigma. And, it's an issue that can't be solved through a piece of legislative or administrative policy.

The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Association wants to create a new crime: aggravated drug dealing. Offenders would receive harsher sentences under a variety of scenarios.

Indiana law, unlike many states, allows the courts to involuntarily commit people to a treatment facility for substance abuse, not just psychiatric disorders. But that power is rarely used because of a lack of resources.

A study by the National Safety Council shows 80 percent of Indiana employers say they've experienced prescription drug abuse issues at their companies, yet less than a third offer training around workplace drug use.

The Recovery Works program is aimed at improving offenders' recovery rates and reducing recidivism.