Lecture Notes: International Drug Overdose Awareness Day Event

Event Introduction

• Date: August 31st (International Drug Overdose Awareness Day)
• Location: Waubonsie Lake Park, Aurora, Illinois
• Organizer: Andrew Sosnowski from the Law Offices of Andrew Sosnowski
• Purpose: Raise awareness about drug overdoses, particularly focusing on the opioid crisis and fentanyl overdoses.

Key Speakers and Their Messages

Dr. Robert Renteria

• Affiliation: Chairman of the Barter Foundation
• Focus Areas: Bullying, gangs, violence, drugs, school dropouts
• Message: Importance of preventing violence and drug use; shared personal experience of losing a father to heroin.

Kathy Zander

• Organization: My Child's Life Matters
• Focus: Support for families who lost a child to fentanyl poisoning
• Message: Advocates for charging fentanyl-related deaths as drug-induced homicides; shared personal story of losing her son.

Courtney Gutierrez

• Role: Unit Commander, Fox Valley Young Marines
• Program: Encourages youth to stay drug-free; involves kids in community service and anti-drug activities monthly.

Young Marines Program

• Core Values: Leadership, teamwork, discipline
• Activities: Community service, drug demand reduction (DDR), veterans projects

Dr. Robert Renteria

• Publications: Author of "From the Barrio to the Boardroom"
• Programs: Offers educational resources to combat gang involvement and violence.

Rob Russell

• Role: Kane County Coroner
• Experience: Discussed the rise in overdose deaths, especially with fentanyl; emphasized the importance of conducting autopsies for overdose deaths.
• Initiatives: Advocates for carrying Narcan and educating the public on overdose response.

Kathy Zander

• Focus: Advocacy for drug-induced homicide laws; addresses the ripple effects of losing a child to overdose on families.

Narcan and Overdose Response

Sharon Cabrera - Kane County Health Department

• Role: Substance Use Prevention Specialist
• Training: Discussed how to administer Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses.
• Points Covered:
  • Recognizing signs of an overdose
  • How to administer Narcan safely
  • Legal protections for those administering Narcan (Good Samaritan Law)
  • Importance of training and distributing Narcan widely

General Information

• Narcan Availability: Widely available in the community; training and distribution efforts ongoing.
• Good Samaritan Law: Protects individuals administering Narcan from legal liability.

Additional Information

• Stigmatization of Drug Use: Efforts to use less stigmatizing language when discussing addiction and drug use.
• Statistics: Rising rates of fentanyl-related fatalities; the need for ongoing community education and resources.

Personal Stories and Testimonials

• Shared by speakers to highlight the personal impact of the opioid crisis on families and communities.

Closing Remarks

• Unity & Community Effort: Emphasis on the collective effort needed to combat the opioid crisis and support affected families.