From the McHenry County Health Department:

Health Departments Unite to #EndOverdose

Free opioid overdose prevention training offered to citizens

CHICAGO—Member agencies of the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium (NIPHC) are joining together to promote opioid overdose awareness in August and September.

Around the world, International Overdose Awareness Day is held on August 31 to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death.

NIPHC health departments and partners are hosting 15 free public events throughout the region to equip citizens with knowledge and tools to stop overdoses and save lives. The public is urged to attend an event to:

• Remember those who have lost their lives to overdose;
• Learn about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to use the lifesaving antidote naloxone (also known as Narcan); and
• Discover local resources.

“By training residents to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone, we’re adding more people to combat this deadly public health emergency, help save lives and get those with substance use disorder into treatment,” said Dr. Amaal Tokars, President of NIPHC.

[Local] overdose awareness and training events are as follows:

• Thursday, August 29, 6:00 p.m. Roar for Recovery 
  Police escorted motorcycle ride from Woodstock Harley-Davidson to Woodstock Square 
  Hosted by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
• Thursday, August 29, 7:15 p.m., Rev for Remembrance for residents lost to overdose,Woodstock Square, Woodstock, IL 
  Hosted by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition
• Sunday, September 15, 9 a.m. – noon, 2^nd Annual Ride for Recovery 
  Northern Illinois Recovery, 620 N. Rte 31, Crystal Lake, IL 
  To register, contact Laurie Crain (815) 334-4048 or llcrain@mchenrycountyil.gov.