Over the past decade, opioid overdoses have killed nearly 11,000 people in Illinois, and the crisis continues to take a toll on the community. In 2016 alone, nearly 2,000 people died of opioid overdoses in Illinois, an 82 percent increase in just three years.
Community leaders are spearheading the charge to combat the epidemic by raising awareness of substance abuse and working to provide life-saving solutions to those who need it most.
To support the fight, Aptar and Adapt Pharma donated 5,000 doses of NARCAN® (naloxone) Nasal Spray, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, to the State of Illinois and McHenry County. With headquarters in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Aptar recognized the need in its home state – and its home county of McHenry – for increased access to NARCAN®.
Of the donation, 4,000 doses went to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force and 1,000 doses went to the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition. The doses will largely benefit Illinois State Police in the line of action, and the Illinois criminal justice system, giving parole agents a tool to help save lives in the field. Additional doses will support Chicago Recovery Alliance’s mission of harm reduction, as well as education and distribution programs in McHenry County.
The donations were presented to Governor Rauner’s Task Force in a ceremony at the Chicago Recovery Alliance on February 8. Aptar CEO Stephan Tanda joined Governor Rauner and Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, along with other key experts and leaders, to discuss the impact of the crisis, the mission of the Governor’s Task Force, and how donations like the one made by Aptar and Adapt provide a critical treatment option to those on the front lines.
A second ceremony was held on February 9 at the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Tanda was joined by State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally and McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition Chairman, Jason Sterwerf, along with other community leaders.
Aptar and Adapt’s industry-first, FDA-approved, needle-free nasal spray device does not require assembly or specialized training, which means a dose of NARCAN® can be easily and quickly administered by anyone, anywhere. First responders can instantaneously deliver naloxone, instead of spending precious time fiddling with a syringe and needle. Time is critical when someone’s life is on the line, and Aptar and Adapt’s faster drug delivery innovation increases the chance of reversing the effects of an opioid overdose and saving a life.
NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care, and repeat applications may be necessary. Seek emergency medical assistance immediately after initial use, keeping the patient under continued surveillance.
Click here to download the full press release. For more information, please email newsroom@aptar.com.
(Photo L-R: Patrick Finlon, Cary Grove Chief of Police; Matt DellaMaria, SVP, Investor Relations & Communications, Aptar; Jason Sterwerf, Chairman, McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition; Stephan Tanda, President and CEO, Aptar; Laura Crain, Director, McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition; Laura Fry, Director, Live4Lali; Leslie Schermerhorn, Superintendent, McHenry County Regional Office of Education; Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney; Bill Prim, McHenry County Sheriff)
