Police: Lake Villa-area overdose victims likely used several drugs
Five people treated for drug overdoses last weekend near Lake Villa likely used several types of drugs, Lake County sheriff's officials said Monday.
Cannabis, acid, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and prescription pills were likely among the drugs ingested Saturday by the four men and one women ages 18 to 20, Det. Christopher Covelli said. Four victims have been released from the hospital, Covelli said. The case is under investigation.
Sheriff's detectives responded to a house on the 39300 block of North Lake Avenue about 11 p.m. and found the five people who appeared to be suffering from an overdose. Two were unconscious and three were conscious but incoherent, officials said.
Deputies administered naloxone to the unresponsive subjects and both regained consciousness, officials said. All five were taken by ambulance to a hospital.
The sheriff's office has saved the lives of 16 people suffering from opioid overdose, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said in a statement Monday.
The Lake County Health Department trains police officers on the use and deployment of naloxone utilizing an auto-injector, authorities said. The auto-injectors are available through a donation the health department received from a Virginia-based pharmaceutical company.
"Law enforcement, mental health advocates, and the community must continue moving forward to reduce the repetition of drug abuse," Lake County Undersheriff Ray Rose said. "It is not enough to prevent death by opioid overdose without looking into and intervening at the root of the problem."