Member agencies of the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium (NIPHC) are joining together to promote opioid overdose awareness in August and September. Around the world, International Overdose Awareness Day is held on August 31 to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death.

NIPHC health departments and partners are hosting 15 free public events throughout the region to equip citizens with knowledge and tools to stop overdoses and save lives. The public is urged to attend an event to:

• Remember those who have lost their lives to overdose;
• Learn about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to use the lifesaving antidote naloxone (also known as Narcan); and
• Discover local resources.

“By training residents to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone, we’re adding more people to combat this deadly public health emergency, help save lives and get those with substance use disorder into treatment,” said Dr. Amaal Tokars, President of NIPHC.

Overdose awareness and training events are as follows:

Chicago:

• Saturday, August 31, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Annual West Side Cookout & Celebration of Life 3110 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL. Hosted by The Chicago Recovery Alliance

DeKalb County:

•  Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. NIU STEM Café Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, 206 E. Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL Details on the NIU website

DuPage County (details at www.hopedupage.org):

• Wednesday, August 28, 5:30 – 8 p.m. (Narcan training at 6:45) Bloomingdale Police Department, 201 South Bloomingdale Rd., Bloomingdale, IL Hosted by LTM Foundation
• Thursday, August 29, 6 – 9 p.m. (Narcan training at 6:45) Serenity House, 891 South Rohlwing Rd., Addison, IL Hosted by Serenity House
• Friday, August 30, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Narcan training at 6:30) Naperville Grande Pavilion, 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Court, Naperville, IL Hosted by PATH to Recovery

Grundy County:

• “In Plain Sight” trailer Teaches parents of teenagers to spot hidden signs of substance misuse and sexual activity Contact the Grundy County Health Department for details: (815) 941-3404.

Kane County:

• Friday, September 6, noon, Opioid Awareness Event and naloxone training Senior Services Association, 2111 Plum St., Aurora, IL To register, contact Diane Dawson at (630) 264-7696 or [email protected].
• Monday, October 28, 2 p.m., Naloxone training Kane County Sheriff’s Office, 37W755 IL-38, St. Charles, IL To register, contact Diane Dawson at (630) 264-7696 or [email protected].

Kendall County:

• Friday, September 20, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Opioid Overdose: Recognize, Respond, and Recovery 811 W. John St., Yorkville, IL To register, contact Nancy Villa at (630) 553-9100 by September 10.

Lake County:

• Tuesday, September 24, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Naloxone training Waukegan Public Library, Ray Bradbury Room, 128 N County St., Waukegan, IL Visit health.lakecountyil.gov for more details.

McHenry County:

• Thursday, August 29, 6:00 p.m. Roar for Recovery Police escorted motorcycle ride from Woodstock Harley-Davidson to Woodstock Square Hosted by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
• Thursday, August 29, 7:15 p.m., Rev for Remembrance for residents lost to overdose Woodstock Square, Woodstock, IL Hosted by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
• Sunday, September 15, 9 a.m. – noon, 2nd Annual Ride for Recovery Northern Illinois Recovery, 620 N. Rte 31, Crystal Lake, IL To register, contact Laurie Crain (815) 334-4048 or [email protected].

Will County:

• Wednesday, September 18, 9 – 10:00 a.m., Narcan training Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL

Winnebago County:

• Wednesday, September 26, Noon and 6 p.m., Narcan training Winnebago County Health Department, 555 N. Court St., Rockford, IL To register, contact Emily Schmidt at (815) 720-4283 or [email protected].

According to the National Safety Council, drug poisoning is the number-one cause of unintentional death in the United States.

The Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances, also known as the Helpline, is a free, confidential service for finding treatment and recovery providers in Illinois. Anyone can use the Helpline, whether they have a substance use disorder or care about someone who does. Trained Helpline Specialists answer questions, provide support, and connect callers to services.

Call the Helpline at 833-2FINDHELP 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Specialists include English and Spanish-speaking staff, and interpreter services are available in any language.

NIPHC is a point of collaboration and exchange of information for local health departments in the northern Illinois region to promote health, prevent disease and protect communities. The consortium also works to raise public awareness, build constituencies and shape legislation and policies that affect public health in the region. Please see http://www.niphc.org/