The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County is coming up on the six month anniversary of its efforts to tackle the opioid epidemic in the community.

The teams will be holding a public forum next week at The Commons to unveil new programs and new initiatives to address the epidemic as well as the providing new resources for those with family members or friends trapped in addiction.

Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin has been heading up the intervention team, which is looking into the law enforcement, courts and jail efforts in the community.

She said that the number of drug and drug paraphernalia possession cases have doubled since 2014.

She said that increase has been putting pressure on the already stressed judicial system in the county.

She said that the judicial system lacks the programs to get people into treatment. That is leading to a new trend in family members of those with drug problems.

The forum will be at 6:30 p.m. the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 24th at The Commons.