'One Pill Can Kill' Addresses Danger Of Drugs Tuesday At BAC

CHICAGO — 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea, The Patrick William Roche Foundation, and ABC Advice Beyond the Classroom invite parents and students eighth grade and above to a free, informational evening discussing the dangers of drug use and addiction.

“One Pill Can Kill” starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Chicago. The presentation features representatives from a variety of law enforcement agencies, as well as families who lost loved ones to drugs.

The panel will speak to the drug epidemic, the rising deaths related to drugs, and how fentanyl is involved in 79 percent of Gen Z drug deaths. Speakers will include Robert Glynn, retired DEA Agent, and John LaGiglia, member of the Chicago Fire Department.

The Patrick William Roche Foundation was organized after William Roche died of a drug overdose. The organization has worked with medical and law enforcement professionals who travel to local schools to make students aware of the danger of fentanyl.

Fentanyl poisoning is now the number one cause of death among Americans ages 18-45. DEA Lab testing reveals 6 out of 10 Fentanyl laced pills now contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Drug overdoses reached a record high of 100,000 individuals in 2021. Fentanyl is linked to 64 percent of all drug related fatalities.