Heroin epidemic 'getting worse instead of better' in Will County

April 08--Despite tackling the heroin epidemic from many different angles, Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley said the problem is "getting worse instead of better."

As Will County officials prepare for their annual heroin summit April 21, Kelley and his deputies gave an update recently to the County Board's Public Health Committee on what their department has been doing to battle the heroin crisis.

Kelley said they have focused not only on enforcement but also on education and prevention of deaths due to overdoses.

According to the Will County coroner's office, 77 people died in Will County in 2016 due to opioid overdoses, up from 53 in 2015 and 35 in 2014.

"We have been hitting the epidemic as hard as we can, and are taking drugs off the street," Kelley told the committee.

Using funds from seizing property and money used in drug offenses, Kelley said, they will add two more K-9 units that are "worth their weight in gold" in fighting this problem.

That money also will be used to create a trailer designed like a kid's bedroom, so they can educate parents on where kids hide drugs, he said.

Such funds help pay for naloxone, an opiate antidote that all first responders carry to help revive people who have overdosed on heroin.

According to Deputy Jeff Jerz, all police officers in the county and municipal departments have been trained in how to administer naloxone.

In the past year, since the sheriff's department implemented naloxone, it has been used nine times, and five lives have been saved, Jerz said, adding that two of those lives were saved since March 15.

He said that while some victims do go to the hospital, the sheriff's department has been unable to track what happens to those whose lives have been saved.

The sheriff's department began using the antidote a month before state law required it, and the program is being expanded.

Dr. Kathleen Burke, whom the county hired with a state grant to tackle opiate addictions and deaths, said she is focusing her efforts on more naloxone training and creating a long-range plan with a state task force to address the issue.

She plans to train family members of addicts, social workers and other agencies who deal with such clients.

"This expansion is huge," she said.

Jerz said the sheriff's department has placed naloxone kits in the county courthouse, jail, state's attorney's office and police stations, and stickers will be placed in every building that has naloxone available.

But the drug, administered in a nasal spray, has a shelf life of 24 months and costs about $15,000 annually to replace, Jerz said.

Kelly said his deputies also work with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, municipal departments and task forces, and they share information "so everyone is aware of what is going on in Will County."

"Heroin is our No. 1 priority," said Lt. Joseph Boers, of the sheriff's drug and gang unit. "We've made several arrests and are hoping to make a difference."

"It is still coming out of the south and west side of Chicago," he said, adding that with three interstates in Will County, "it's easy for people to get to it."

The county will host its annual heroin forum from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.April 21 at the Edward Hospital Athletic Center, 55 Phelps Ave., Romeoville. It is held in conjunction with the Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization, Will County's Heroin Education Leads to Preventative Solutions and the Southwest Coalition for Substance Abuse Issues.

Speakers from Will, DuPage, Lake and Cook counties will talk about the strategies they are using to fight the heroin epidemic.

The free event is open to families, public officials, police, health care providers and educators, and includes a resource expo featuring more than 30 organizations.

More information is at www.herohelpsswc.org.

slafferty@tribpub.com

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