The war on illegal drugs has been ongoing for years and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has recently joined the fight by meeting with elected officials and community stakeholders to discuss ways to win it.
According to federal statistics, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States has more than doubled over the past 10 years, and in most states the number now exceeds the number of traffic-related deaths. Drug overdose deaths are now the leading cause of preventable injury death, resulting in nearly 44,000 deaths each year, with most involving either prescription opioids or heroin.
In Illinois, there were 1,652 overdose deaths in 2014 – an increase of nearly 29 percent since 2010. In DuPage County, there were at least 86 overdose deaths in 2014, 42 associated with heroin.
Durbin said more needs to be done to stop the flow of illegal drugs into America.
“In recent years, Illinois – like the rest of the country – has seen an alarming increase in drug overdose deaths. These deaths affect the young and old, rich and poor— it is a problem that all communities face,” Durbin said. “With heroin and opioid use on the rise, why wouldn’t we do everything we could to give first-responders access to life-saving drugs like naloxone? I will continue to fight to ensure that community groups and first responders on the front lines have the resources they need to prevent more individuals from falling victim to opioid abuse.”
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