There’s a fable from India about six blind men entering the courtyard of the rajah and encountering an elephant. Each of them reaches out and touches a different part. Each gets an entirely different impression of the beast.

“It’s a wall,” says the man stroking the elephant’s side.

“A tree,” says one beside the leg.

“A tent,” says another, grasping an ear.

“A cobra!” says another, touching the trunk. And so on.

It’s a fitting analogy for what is becoming a drug-overdose mystery in Butler County, Overdose deaths have ballooned over the past three years to become the community’s proverbial elephant in the living room, from 47 deaths in 2015 to 74 in 2016, to 92 in 2017.

But midway through this year, the coroner’s office has confirmed only 15 overdose deaths with another 8 cases pending. That’s fewer than the half the 40 deaths reported midyear 2016, fewer than half the 47 total recorded in 2015.

We went looking for answers. We found clues but no “silver bullet” — no dominant remedy; but rather, a combination of factors being applied in concert to turn back the beast.

Consider the variety of weapons being deployed:

- Law enforcement officers and other first responders now carry the opioid antidote naloxone, also known as Narcan. It’s available virtually over the counter.

- A state “good Samaritan” law protects the overdose subject, friends and relatives from criminal arrest and prosecution. Previously, the best option for friends of an OD victim was to run away and keep your mouth shut.

While the institution of Narcan and the good Samaritan law have been criticized as a “safety net” that could actually encourage overdoses, they certainly have saved lives.

- Increased pressure from the courts and law enforcement. “They’re knocking the dealers down all over,” is how Butler County Coroner William F. Young III described it. Law enforcement is concentrating more manpower and resources to fight drug-related crime. Neighborhood watch groups are standing up against drug crime. Drug confiscations and confidential informants are reported almost daily, reflecting a vigilant and connected law enforcement community.

- Judicial discernment between drug users and dealers. At times it seems many of the arrested drug users are getting off with time served. The courts understand that locking up addicts does little for the addict or society. Rehabilitation and drug treatment programs are hit-or-miss. It’s a discouraging reality. At least, the coping skills learned in rehab programs are more beneficial than those passed from inmate to inmate in jail.

- Community education programs have helped ease the stigma of addiction. A few years ago we found it very difficult to talk about this elephant in our living room. At least now most of us can admit we own it.

nEconomic revitalization. Jobs and decent wages cure a lot of ills. Lower unemployment rates have helped restore some of the community’s vitality, but there’s always room for improvement.

- Prayer. Addiction remains the focus of our spiritual community. At least one local church conducts regular worship services geared specifically for those recovering from addictions of all kinds. All of our houses of worship remain committed to defeating the common foe.

There’s a moral to the elephant fable, and it also applies to Butler County’s struggle with addiction. We have a variety of experiences, and when confronted with a gargantuan crisis, we’ll all have different plans to respond. Judging from the reduction in overdose deaths, we’re moving together in the right direction.

With this in mind, let’s stay humble, recognize our individual limitations of knowledge, our need for other perspectives, and trust that others may grasp truths that we do not.

And keep up the good fight.