INDIANA – Deaths by suicide and substance abuse are at an all-time high for millennials. John Auerbach president of Trust For America’s Health says in Indiana, alcohol, drug and suicide deaths increased by nearly 200% from 1999 to 2017.

“We see that there are 3,600 people who lost their lives in the last year for which we have data as a result or alcohol, drugs, or suicide,” Auerbach said.

The Pain in the Nation report found that between 2007 and 2017 drug deaths among 18-to-34-year-olds had more than doubled across the nation. Auerbach says millennials are being particularly impacted by the opioid crisis, economic difficulties from growing up in a recession and a lack of comprehensive health care.

Auerbach says millennials face more stressors with less means of support.

“They carry enormous education debt, less likely to be married, and less likely to live in the town that their families are in,” Auerbach said.

Auerbach also says millennials could benefit from substance abuse treatment instead of harsh sentencing.

By 2025, it’s projected deaths by substance abuse and suicide in Indiana could increase another 13-percent.