West Cook News

Heroin users worried about overdosing can worry less while shooting up in Oak Park. 

In a post on Facebook, the Oak Park Police Department advertised the placement of free "Overdose Emergency Kits" throughout the Village. 

“Narcan, a life-saving medication used to stop an opioid overdose, is available for free in boxes installed at seven locations throughout the Village as part of the Oak Park Public Health Department's opioid overdose prevention program,” the Oak Park Police Department said on Facebook. 

“Find more information about opioid overdose prevention in Oak Park, including a map showing where free Narcan is available, at www.oak-park.us/overdoseprevention.” 

The kits have been placed at seven public locations below: 

• Corner of South Boulevard and Harlem Avenue

• Corner of North Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue

• Corner of Randolph Street and Marion Street

• Corner of Washington Boulevard and Austin Boulevard

• Near the alley between parking lot 33 and 900 S. block of Humphrey Ave. Maple Park, 1105 S.

• Maple Ave. on the exterior wall of the restroom

• Oak Park Public Library Main Branch, 834 Lake St. entryway 

The Village of Oak Park is seeking Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) members to restock the "Overdose Emergency Kits" once they’ve been depleted. 

In 2022, Cook County reached a milestone of 2,000 opioid overdose deaths, with fentanyl responsible for over 91% of these fatalities, predominantly affecting African American men.

In Oak Park, 151 people experienced an opioid overdose in 2022, equating to nearly one overdose every other day.

Some communities have gone much further than the "Overdose Emergency Kits" currently on offer in Oak Park. 

In Washington, D.C., one vending machine near a children’s playground dispenses various drug paraphernalia as part of a similar “harm-reduction initiative” sponsored by the local health department. 

Among the items available is the "Safer Rectal Drug Administration Kit," also known as a "booty bumping" kit, which includes materials for rectal drug use. The machine also provides syringes, meth pipes and snorting kits. These vending machines, which are spreading across the U.S., often distribute NARCAN, fentanyl test strips and other resources for preventing overdoses. 

Additionally, some machines offer supplies like condoms, lubricants, feminine hygiene products and hormone injection kits for various groups. 

Critics argue that such programs, which are funded by taxpayer dollars, subsidize addiction rather than provide effective treatment.