One thousand four hundred twenty deaths. That is the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Chicago in 2021. Nationwide, there have been over 106 thousand overdose deaths, according to data from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The juniors in the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Civic Lab group addressed this crisis, and their work culminated in a presentation to Parker’s alderperson, Timmy Knudsen.
While making fentanyl test kits at the Chicago Department of Public Health, the group learned about Narcan (naloxone), a nasal spray which, when administered, can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and effectively save lives. The cost of one spray of Narcan can be around $30 to $64, according to the healthcare company GoodRx, and although many states are working to increase public access to Narcan, it is not always accessible.
During a presentation by the Chicago Department of Public Health, the group discovered that only five of the 50 ward offices in Chicago distribute Narcan for free, and the 43rd Ward, which Parker is included in, was not one of those offices. “That was when we had the idea to talk to our alderperson, Timmy Knudsen, about putting publicly available Narcan rescue boxes in his ward office,” Anika Gehani, a junior in the SSDP group, said.
The Civic Lab group worked to research the opioid crisis and its impact on Chicago, the issue of fentanyl overdoses, and how Narcan can be used to help.
“I specifically researched stories of people who were accidentally exposed to fentanyl and unfortunately died,” junior Danni Kaplan, a member of the SSDP group, said. “I looked at how they would’ve survived if they had Narcan available to them or if the people around them were more educated about the signs of a fentanyl overdose.”
As a part of their research, the group gathered stories of people such as a grandmother who unknowingly exposed her grandchild with a fentanyl-laced patch that looked like a band-aid, and they emphasized that accidental opioid overdoses can affect anyone, not just habitual drug users.
After extensive preparation, the SSDP group met with Knudsen to encourage him to provide free Narcan at the 43rd Ward Office, for which the State of Illinois would absorb all costs and the Chicago Department of Public Health would deliver for free, restocking as needed.
“I went into the meeting a little uncertain about how Knudsen would react,” Gehani said. “However, after the meeting, I felt great about it. There never seemed to be a moment where Knudsen doubted our idea. As soon as we finished talking, he asked what else he could do to help and was clearly engaged in our idea.”
Knudsen committed to stocking Narcan at his ward office and also invited the SSDP students to develop information about Narcan’s importance that will be shared in his newsletter to 40,000 constituents in the near future. He even invited SSDP group members to write and present a resolution to the City Council in the fall, to advocate for Narcan distribution in every ward office city-wide.
“This opportunity showed me that with preparation and passion for an idea, you really can make change, which is a concept that extends beyond our Civic Lab group,” Gehani said. “If you find something that you think is not fair, you can take your idea, make connections, find people to talk to, and make a difference.”
“This experience allowed me to learn about what we can do as a community, and how we can rally together to save lives,” Kaplan said.
