Pubdate: Wed, 17 Apr 2013
Source: Northwest Herald (IL)
Copyright: 2013 Northwest Herald Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.nwherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2762
Author: Dan Linn
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n150/a04.html

DIFFERENT OVERDOSE APPROACH

Regarding McHenry County's drug problem, one way to save lives would 
be to educate the public on the recently passed Overdose Immunity 
Good Samaritan Law that protects those who have overdosed and those 
who call for an ambulance from prosecution for small amounts of drugs.

People need to know that if someone is overdosing, they should call 
911 for help because, tragically, too often people will avoid calling 
for help when illegal drugs are involved for fear of arrest and legal 
ramifications.

Another way to help would be to distribute Naloxone, an opioid 
overdose antidote and educate opioid-using individuals on how to 
administer it if someone is overdosing. Having access to this 
substance will save lives if people are injecting and abusing opioid 
substances. By offering solutions that reduce the harm associated 
with these substances, we can more humanely approach addiction as a 
public health issue and not one for the criminal justice sector, 
which should be focusing on other crimes.

McHenry County is a wonderful place, but it is not unique by having 
members of its community struggle with addiction and abuse of 
substances. Being tough on drug dealers and drug users hasn't worked 
so far and likely never will. However, there are good examples of 
places that have taken a different approach to addiction and seen 
promising results in reducing overdoses, reducing the spread of 
diseases associated with needle sharing and getting more people into treatment.

Dan Linn

Sycamore
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom