Will County Board Working to Combat Heroin Epidemic

The Will County Board is trying to help combat the rising use of heroin. To do that, it’s turning to local law enforcement agencies and the Will County Sheriff’s Department to provide training on using Narcan, a drug that reverses that effects of an overdose.

“Heroin usage is a very serious issue affecting numerous Will County communities and devastating lives,” said board member Ragan Freitag in a release from the board. “We must do all we can to fight back and coordinate efforts to support our law enforcement agencies, and the recent training of police officers in my hometown of Wilmington is a fine example. We encourage all departments across the county to receive this training and equip officers to save lives.”

Freitag has seen firsthand the consequences of heroin overdoses when a good friend died during her first year of practicing law, according to the release. She has also worked with clients recovering from drug addiction and gone on to graduate Will County’s successful Drug Court program.

“Will County has the resources and manpower to turn the tide of this epidemic,” Freitag said. “I applaud those working hard on a daily basis to raise awareness and help those struggling with addiction.”

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, 53 people died of a heroin-related overdose in 2015. The ages of those people range from 21 to 73.

Outside of Cook County, Will County had the most deaths from heroin in 2015 than any other Illinois county and experienced an estimated 50 percent increase compared to 2014, according to the release.