(Joliet, IL) — April 1, 2010. The forum “The New Face of Heroin Addiction: Illinois Teens” drew more than 150 people on Tuesday to Joliet West High School on Tuesday night.
Joliet Herald-News reporter Catherine Ann Velasco writes:
The number of deaths in Will County caused by heroin overdoses has almost doubled from 15 in 2005 to 29 in 2009. Over, the five-year period, there have been 86 heroin deaths, said Bob Brenczewski, chief deputy of the Will County Coroner’s Office.
Illinois is spending $5 billion or 14 percent of its budget on the consequences of untreated addictions, such as criminal justice costs and domestic violence. But only $147 million is spent on prevention and treatment services, said Sara Moscato Howe, chief executive officer of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association.
“The heroin crisis is escalating because the state can’t put as many prevention workers in the schools,” she said.
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Illinois Association for Behavioral Health News Blog 