Health & Fitness
'A Lot' Of Work To Do In Kane County Amid Overdose Deaths Report
Work needs to be done locally despite a decrease in drug overdose deaths across the U.S., the Kane Co. State's Attorney's office reported.
KANE COUNTY, IL — The Kane County State's Attorney's office shared a report Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding a decline in drug overdose deaths in 2018 compared to 2017. The decline, according to the report, was the first in over a decade. Although the state's attorney's office calls this "welcome news," they added that there is a lot of work to be done "to mitigate the opioid epidemic and the illicit narcotics trade."
The state's attorney's office provided a local example of the work that needs to be done, specifically in Illinois. According to the state's attorney's office, the Kane County Coroner's office reported it conducted 90 autopsies for people who died while opioids were in their system. Most of those deaths were overdoses, and it's likely that opioids played a role in deaths that weren't caused by overdoses. In addition, opioid-related deaths were roughly the same in Illinois in 2018 compared to 2017.
Related: Kane Co. Sheriff Offers 'A Way Out' Through Support, Treatment
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Deaths related to cocaine have increased across the U.S. for a large part of a decade, the CDC reported, and methamphetamine use has increased significantly in Illinois over the last few years, according to the Illinois State Police.
If you are interested in receiving treatment for addition, the Kane County Sheriff's office introduced their "A Way Out" program in June. The program provides non-punitive support and treatment center connection to people suffering from drug addiction, while also encouraging those individuals to walk-in, call, or use the Sheriff's Office Tips411 portal on the sheriff's office website to initiate support.
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The sheriff's office added that during the program, a member of the sheriff's office will triage the Kane County resident's addiction issue and contact local treatment centers for availability, and then transport that person to the center. For more details, visit Kanesheriff.com and click the A Way Out link to request support.
For more information on the recent report surrounding drug overdose deaths, visit addictionpolicy.org.
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