URBANA, Ill. – 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 opioid overdoses.

The 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 Jerome Lee and Maureen Crawford.

Lee was a drug and alcohol addict and spent a year in prison before recovery. He 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.

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

Register online at go.illinois.edu/hancock. 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.

SOURCE: Nancy Ouedraogo, Community and Economic Development Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
WRITER: Judy Mae Bingman, Interim Director of Communications, University of Illinois Extension

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.