Public Forum on Heroin Abuse Coming to Downers Grove

In response to the growing heroin epidemic among teens and young adults in DuPage County, two local legislators are teaming up with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital to bring community service providers and policymakers together to educate parents and families about how to prevent and respond to this public health threat in the community.

The DuPage County Heroin Forum will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, 3815 S. Highland Ave. The forum is free and open to the public. Parents, educators and students are all welcome and encouraged to attend.

Sponsored by State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale) and State Rep. Sandy Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn), the forum will feature a panel including the Robert Crown Center for Health Education, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and DuPage County Coroner Dr. Richard Jorgensen.

The panelists will discuss various aspects of the local heroin crisis including prevention education, treatment resources, law enforcement response and analysis of the trends associated with the tragic local deaths resulting from a heroin overdose.

“Local families cannot afford to ignore the dangers associated with the skyrocketing growth in heroin use among teens and young adults,” Bellock said. “Our Heroin Forum will pull back the curtain on the very real impact this epidemic is having on families throughout DuPage County and; most importantly, how we can respond.”

“Heroin is one of the most destructive and addictive drugs out there and its use among kids is growing at an alarming rate,” said Pihos. “Community collaboration is crucial to solving the heroin epidemic. By bringing together members of the community, our forum aims to educate families on how to stop this public health threat and break the cycle before it’s too late.”

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