Will County State's Attorney Contributes $5K To Nonprofit Group HERO

JOLIET, IL – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has contributed $5,000 to the Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization, or HERO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the opioid epidemic in our communities.

HERO was founded by two dads, John Roberts and Brian Kirk, after their sons Billy and Matt were tragically taken from them while battling heroin addiction.

“The founders of HERO turned the incomprehensible tragedy of losing a child to drugs into a mission of saving the lives of other children and helping parents through education, counseling, and support services,” Glasgow said. “Tragically, we continue to lose precious lives through the opioid epidemic. Last year was record setting nationwide for the number of opioid-related deaths, and Will County statistics reflect this trend. 147 people in Will County died from drug overdoses last year – and 140 of these were opioid related. That’s up from 115 opioid related deaths out of 125 overdose deaths in 2020.

Glasgow stated that the epidemic is now being driven by illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.

“Fentanyl is a synthetic drug similar to heroin but hundreds of times more potent, and is being mixed in with other drugs at an alarming rate. Even the tiniest amount can be fatal, as it depresses the central nervous system and all respiratory function,” Glasgow said. “Even though fentanyl’s potency is incredibly dangerous, it has become commonplace for dealers to lace other drugs with this synthetic killer. Drug dealers don’t care if some of their customers die because, sadly, there are plenty more to take their place.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, synthetic opioid deaths in Illinois have increased 2,736 percent since 2013.

This press release was produced by Will County Attorney James W. Glasgow. The views expressed here are the author’s own.