Hultgren Announces McHenry Drug Abuse Grant

A press release from Congressman Randy Hultgren:

Hultgren Celebrates Grant with McHenry Substance Abuse Coalition to Fight Youth Drug Abuse

Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today met with officials at the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition (SAC) and praised their hard work in earning another $125,000 through the Drug Free Community grant program, administered by the White House Official of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP).

The program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.

Congressman Randy Hultgren chats with

Congressman Randy Hultgren chats with Laura Crain, Drug Free program coordinator at McHenry County SAC, and Chris Gleason, Director of McHenry Services at Rosecrance).

“The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition is a model for a community-based approach to combating substance abuse, including abuse of heroin and opioid painkillers that is plaguing the youth in our communities,” said Rep. Hultgren. “Through their support of first responders having access to Narcan, to promoting drug ‘drop-off’ boxes, to awareness education and more, the Coalition is putting into practice much of the community action plan they and many others helped craft at my Community Leadership Forum on Heroin Prevention last year. Together, we can fight this epidemic and ensure our kids and grandkids have alternatives to drugs.”

Established in 2001, as the heroin epidemic began to take hold in the collar counties, the McHenry County SAC focuses on combating abuse of alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs (including opioids), and synthetic drugs. It brings together law enforcement, substance abuse treatment centers, private enterprise, the health care and mental health industries, and Illinois residents affected by substance abuse.

Since convening his Community Leadership Forum on Heroin Prevention in Geneva in 2014, Rep. Hultgren has been a leader in the fight to stop the epidemic of heroin and opioid abuse:

  • Following the Community Leadership Forum on Heroin Prevention, he released a community action plan based on the forum discussions aimed at developing a community-based solution to the epidemic. Many communities are already implementing the recommendations put forth.
  • He submitted the plan to both former Governor Quinn’s Young Adults Heroin Use Task Force and the Illinois House Bipartisan Task Force on the Heroin Crisis, as well as to Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) who has investigated the issue.
  • The National Association of REALTORS® has recognized Rep. Hultgren for his recommendation to them to encourage homeowners to take proactive steps to make sure prescription drugs are secured prior to public open houses.
  • He has continued to support encourage community-wide efforts across the district, such as the March Heroin Solutions Forum held at the VFW Overseas Post 1197 in Batavia, and the April Hero Helps Community Summit, where he highlighting the challenges and successes shared by Will County and northern Illinois in fighting the epidemic of heroin and opiate abuse.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded Illinois a $3.6 million, four-year grant to prevent overdose deaths related to prescription opioids as part of the CDC’s Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States program.


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