‘We’ve got to step up and fill a void’: Hotline aims to help those struggling with opioid addiction

Town’s prime physician, Allison Arwady, highlighted the staggering statistics.

“For each 3 to 4 Chicagoans that dies of COVID in that first 12 months, one other Chicagoan died of an opioid overdose,” Arwady mentioned.

She added that lately, extra Chicagoans died of deadly opioid overdoses than died of homicides and automotive crashes mixed.

Opioid disaster: US overdose deaths hit report 107K final 12 months, CDC says

Arwady joined Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown as they introduced the success of a latest drug trafficking investigation.

A number of members and associates of a Chicago avenue gang have been arrested final week on the West Facet, based on Lightfoot.

These arrested are accused of conspiring to distribute unlawful medicine, resembling heroin and cocaine.

“We arrested greater than 30 offenders. Recovered greater than 15 firearms and ammunition. Over 250 rounds of ammunition. And took medicine, typically laced with Fentynal… off the road,” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown mentioned.

Police additionally recovered over a number of hundred thousand {dollars} in money, Brown added.

Ten are going through federal expenses.

“As an entire, this take down is the results of a multi-year, joint federal and native drug trafficking investigation,” Lightfoot mentioned.

The investigation additionally helped shut down three “open-air drug markets” in West Garfield Park, in addition to quite a few weapons taken off the road.

Gov. JB Pritzker publicizes plan to forestall deaths from opioid habit

“However, importantly, we gave the streets again to the individuals who dwell there,” Lightfoot mentioned. “Now that these individuals have been detained, we should step in to additional assist the group with optimistic assets to make it that a lot safer.”

“We’re giving the residents again what was stolen from them,” Brown added.

Among the many announcement, metropolis leaders additionally revealed town’s new effort to deliver extra security and safety to communities.

“We’re working to rebuild that sense of security and safety till each particular person on this block feels it,” Brown mentioned.

“We have to step up and fill a void,” Lightfoot added.

The plan consists of “complete assist companies.”

“Visibility, engagement and collaboration is on the coronary heart of our efforts,” Brown mentioned.

“Opioid overdoses are the quantity 5 explanation for our trigger racial life expectancy hole,” Arwady mentioned. “Opioid overdoses land in each a part of this metropolis however they land particularly exhausting on predominantly black communities and particularly exhausting on the West Facet.”

Arwady mentioned a brand new Chicago hotline may help join these battling substance abuse discover the assistance and assets they want. That hotline is: 833-234-6343.