State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford and Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez to Spotlight Brown University Research on Overdose Prevention Sites and Advocate for Pilot Program on Chicago’s West Side

CHICAGO – State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, is partnering with local public health organizations, elected
officials, and researchers from Brown University to highlight new research on the efficacy of overdose prevention sites
(centers) in reducing preventable overdose deaths and improving public health outcomes.

“Although some of the most notorious open-air drug markets are on the West Side of Chicago, the problem does not stay
local. That’s why a majority of West Side residents support overdose prevention sites, which are grounded in scientific
evidence and help reduce harm,” said Ford. “Opioid abuse has devastated families in every region, and it’s up to us to take
a smart, public-health-driven, and compassionate approach to tackling this issue.”

Ford, who is sponsoring House Bill 2929—legislation to authorize a state-sanctioned overdose prevention site pilot
program in Illinois—is partnering with researchers from Brown University, a public health expert from Rush University,
community leaders from the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force, and other local elected officials to highlight the need
for overdose prevention sites at a press conference on May 11 at Rush University Medical Center.  

The pilot program will be kick-started with an $18 million allocation from the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory
Board, which manages a portion of the state’s opioid settlement funds from litigation against opioid manufacturers, with
additional support and oversight provided by relevant state agencies.  

Simply put: these centers save lives—whether it’s through on-site medical staff reversing overdoses before they become
fatal or a social worker connecting an individual to a service provider,” said Ford. “While they alone cannot cure someone
of addiction, they save lives by meeting people where they are and treating them like patients instead of criminals.”