Cook County sheriff launches opioid awareness initiative

CHICAGO (AP) - Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is launching an awareness campaign aimed at helping the public better understand the opioid crisis.

In a news release, the sheriff says he is releasing videos, photographs and other messages about the opioid crisis that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths from drug overdoses in recent years.

The first video released is about a woman whose use of prescription opioids led to a powerful addiction that devastated her life. The social media campaign is part of a larger effort by the sheriff's office that includes partnering with the Cook County Health and Hospitals System to distribute an overdose reversal drug to inmates when they're released from jail.

The video can be found at www.facebook.com/cookcountysheriff and https://vimeo.com/241704333/70c99ea620 .