West Side organization teaches people how to reverse opioid overdoses
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County is on track to break a record that no one wanted – 2022 will likely be the worst year on record for opioid overdose deaths.
Toxicology reports are still being finalized for hundreds of cases – so we still don't know the final tally.
But as CBS 2's Noel Brennan reported Thursday, one West Side community is working hard to reverse the trend.
A simple lesson saves lives – and Gail Richardson teaches it on the West Side. She is an outreach specialist with the West Side Heroin and Opioid Task Force.
"Six days a week, we're out here on the streets," Richardson said. "What I do is we pass out Narcan."
She shows people how to reverse a deadly overdose with Narcan – via nasal mists or injections. One of those people is Ken Furnell, who works with Chicagoans experiencing homelessness.
"I take soup to the street, so often when I'm feeding people on the street, a lot of them suffer from addiction," Furnell said. "Just a spray in the nose, and it can bring somebody back - like that."
Cook County is still counting the number of opioid overdose deaths from 2022, but the final tally could top 2,000 – a record-breaking year.
The work feels more important than ever.
"Last year, we passed out 3,600 kits," Richardson said.
And for Richardson, it's personal.
"I am a recovering addict myself. I'll have 20 years clean in February," she said. "They know that I once was in their shoes. I'm no better than they are."
Richardson will never tire of teaching.
"I never knew what my purpose in life was, but I feel this is my purpose to be out there on the grounds," she said.