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According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, in 2021,
there were more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in Illinois.
Since 2008, nearly 11,000 people have died due to opioid
overdoses, many times because fentanyl was an unknown factor.
State Sen. Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, is sponsoring a measure to
expand access to overdose prevention supplies for providers
enrolled in the Illinois Department of Human Service’s Substance
Use Prevention and Recovery Division Drug Overdose Prevention
Team. House Bill 1121 would increase access to fentanyl test
strips and improve public health outcomes by preventing fatal
overdose, he said.
“These testing strips are a crucial tool for detecting fentanyl,
a powerful synthetic opioid that is often mixed into other drugs
without the user’s knowledge,” Faraci said. “This action will
help prevent accidental overdose and keep people alive.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, introduced
similar legislation weeks ago, but is now a cosponsor of this
bill.
Another measure, House Bill 1557, would require for-profit music
venues that have an occupancy of 1,000 or more to have opioid-overdose
antidotes.
“When people go to these festivals and concerts, sometimes they
make bad choices, bad decisions, but that shouldn’t cost them
their lives,” said state Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago.
The third bill, House Bill 3924, would require all high school
students enrolled in a state-required health course to learn
about the dangers of fentanyl.
Illinois ranks sixth nationally in nonfatal opioid overdoses,
according to an analysis of National Emergency Medical Services
Information System data. The number suggests opioid use is high
in Illinois, but safety precautions, like naloxone overdose
treatments, are saving lives.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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