Tackling the Fentanyl Crisis
Dear Neighbor,
Fentanyl has been described as the "third wave of the opioid crisis." It's a synthetic opioid that's cheap, potent, dangerous, and often used to adulterate other drugs or grey-market medicines.
It's driven a staggering increase in overdoses in Illinois. Deaths from synthetic opioid overdose (driven primarily by fentanyl) have risen from only 87 deaths in 2013, to almost 2,5000 in 2020.
There's a great tool to help prevent this: fentanyl test strips. A user can test a substance to see if it's cut with fentanyl. They work just like Covid tests: you see one line if fentanyl is present, and two if not.
Research has shown that these test strips can save lives. But in Illinois, they're illegal — they're classified as "drug paraphernalia" in our statute.
Last week in committee, I took the first step to changing that. I passed HB 4556, which would allow for test strips to be distributed at doctors' offices, pharmacies, and clinics across Illinois.
Next step: we call the bill in the House chamber. If we can get a 60-vote majority to support it, the bill goes over to the Senate, and then to the Governor for a signature.
I'll be working on a number of other bills in committee this week. More updates as they get passed, and as always, follow us on social media for the latest news!
Take care,
- Will
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EVICTION SEALING WORKSHOP
Thank to housing protections we passed last year in Springfield, tenants can now seal their eviction record so that it doesn't impact their housing stability long term.
Learn how you can seal your eviction record, or help others with their sealing, at our workshop with LCBH on Wednesday, February 23 at 6pm. Be sure to RSVP for the workshop at:
COFFEE WITH WILL
Join me and 1st Ward Ald. La Spata for a morning of coffee and conversation! We will be hosting open coffee hours at Jimmy Beans Coffee on Saturday, March 12 from 10:00am - 1:00pm.
Stop by for a free cup of coffee to chat about ongoing policy work and questions or concerns you want to lift up about our community.
RSVP here or call our office at (773) 853-2570.