Tom Cullerton passes measure to prevent drug related deaths

SPRINGFIELD- DuPage County introduced the first county-wide application of narcan in the state. The DuPage County Health Department organized an effort to equip more than 2,000 people, largely local police, with narcan at the beginning of 2014. The use of narcan in DuPage County has since saved over 49 lives.

State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is hoping to spread the success of this county-wide program with today’s passage of House Bill 1.

“Today we put protections in place to help prevent our young people from making fatal decisions,” said Cullerton. “We have all seen that drug overdoses can happen to people regardless of their age, socioeconomic background or ethnicity.”

The legislation addresses heroin and opioid abuse and addiction in Illinois in a variety of different ways, including programs mirrored off the success of DuPage County’s efforts at training public safety entities in administering narcan, requiring state agencies to develop a three-year heroin and opioid drug prevention program and expanding state funded treatment to include addiction treatment and prescription costs.

Narcan reverses the effects of overdose for heroin, cocaine, Vicodin, OxyContin and Morphine. The drug can be administered either by injection or nasal spray.

Throughout the nation, fatal drug overdoses have increased six-fold over three decades, claiming 36,000 American lives every year.

“This comprehensive solution is a great example of legislators working together in a bipartisan manner to address a serious problem and work to save lives,” said Cullerton. “I’m proud of the work we have done to protect families across Illinois.”

House Bill 1 passed out of the Senate with a vote of 44-11. The law goes into immediate effect today.

If you have any questions please visit www.SenatorTomCullerton.com or call his full-time Villa Park Office at (630) 903-6662.