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State unveils new Substance Use Vulnerability Index for counties

LANSING, MI— The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new tool to help stakeholders target substance use issues specifically facing their communities.

The Michigan Substance Use Vulnerability Index considers more than just overdose mortality data to identify areas with higher substance use. It takes into account a community’s access to resources, the impact of nonfatal overdoses, and social determinants of health. The data creates an index showing areas that are more vulnerable to adverse substance use outcomes.

Officials say around $400 million from a nationwide pharmaceutical settlement will be sent directly to county and local governments over the next 18 years. Officials can then tailor the work done in each county and make vulnerable counties a priority.

Schoolcraft County has been identified as one of the most vulnerable counties in the state. Officials with the LMAS District Health Department say the index will help them bolster their efforts in addressing the opioid crisis.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.