CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — In 2021, there were over 1,400 fatal opioid overdoses in Chicago — the highest ever recorded in the city. On Wednesday, the City, State, and Cook County announced a partnership to expand overdose prevention programs at Cook County Jail.
The expansion will include a focus on upping distributing harm reduction kits to those leaving Cook County Jail.
Specifically, officials said they plan to offer Narcan nasal spray universally and make fentanyl test strips available, as well as offer direct referrals to medication for opioid use disorder.
Three care coordinators will also be added to the re-entry center, where officials said they'll help provide this support to people being released from Cook County Jail.
The partnership is between the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR), and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said these kits build on the care they receive in jail and will be "critical to helping them stay on the path to recovery.”
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According to a CDPH press release, overdoses remain one of the leading causes of the 10-year life expectancy gap between Black and white Chicagoans. Officials added that the life expectancy gap widened during the pandemic.
“The opioid overdose crisis in Chicago disproportionately impacts Black communities in the city,” said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. “We must do everything we can to ensure that life-saving harm reduction resources like Narcan and access to effective treatment is available in all of our communities.”
Family Guidance Centers runs a 24/7 helpline for people seeking medication assisted recovery in Chicago can be reached at 833-234-6343.
Officials said anyone looking to request Narcan or fentanyl test strips from CDPH should email osu.cdph@cityofchicago.org.
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