The Illinois Department of Public Health attributes over 5,500 Illinois deaths a year to the use of alcohol and other drugs. In 2018, 2,169 Illinois deaths resulted from opioids overdoses (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

Hancock County Addiction Coalition, originally the Hancock County Opioid Task Force, is a community of individuals and organizations dedicated to stopping substance abuse and addictions.

A free webinar by University of Illinois Extension and Rural Partners will highlight the work of the coalition. It begins at noon Sept. 2. Presenters include a former addict, Jerome Lee, and Maureen Crawford, co-chairperson of the group.

If you will need an accommodation in order to participate, email Nancy Ouedraogo, esarey@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Maureen Crawford recently retired after more than 17 years with the Hancock County Public Health Department.

Jerome Lee was a drug and alcohol addict and spent a year in prison before recovery. He now pastors a church and is vice president of Lydia's House, a crisis center and transitional living home for woman battling addition and domestic violence. Lee is a part-time peer recovery support specialist for the Mental Health Centers of Western Illinois and an active member of the Hancock County Addiction Coalition.