More die of overdoses than car crashes
• Among 47,055 drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2014 in the United States, 28,647 (61 percent) involved an opioid such as heroin.
• More people in 2014 died from drug overdoses than from vehicle crashes, which killed 32,675.
• Heroin is particularly deadly because it can kill on the first use, especially if laced with fentanyl, a potent and often lethal opioid.
• A person who calls 911 or takes someone to an emergency room for an overdose cannot be charged in Illinois with possession for small amounts of illegal drugs.
• How to get help: live4lali.org/, drugabuse.gov, drugfree.org.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Illinois General Assembly.
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