Newsletter: Taking Action Against Drug Abuse

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

Illicit drug abuse is impacting our communities at an alarming rate. The Chicagoland area outpaces the nation's rate of emergency room visits for heroin overdoses by nearly 3 to 1, according to the most recent federal statistics. In 2013 the Chicago Tribune reported that heroin-related deaths have nearly doubled in DuPage County since 2007.

It's clear that we must do more on all levels of government to help stem the tide of drug use in our area. That's why I've taken action in Congress to try to bring attention to this issue. Last year, I joined colleagues of mine from Illinois in writing a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to undertake the use of non-addictive anti-addiction medications in jails, federal prisons and reentry centers.

I recently joined the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus to help work on this problem at the federal level. Through my work in this caucus and throughout the 8th District, I hope to raise awareness on this issue and increase education about substance abuse and addiction treatment.

Last week, I also helped introduce the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which would help address heroin and opioid addictions in our communities and across the nation.

In the District, I hosted a roundtable on drug trends at the Kenneth Young Center in Elk Grove Village. We brought in experts from various organizations including Kids Matter, Linking Efforts Against Drugs, and local police departments to discuss prevention, addiction, and treatment of drug abuse in our communities, especially among our high school student population.

By working together we can reduce the drug abuse epidemic in our communities. If you ever have any questions about available resources, I encourage you to reach out to my office at (847) 413-1959.

Sincerely,

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