Morrison hosts virtual town hall on opioid epidemic

Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison will host a live virtual town hall at noon Tuesday to discuss the opioid epidemic and what local organizations are doing to support those on the path to recovery.

Morrison will be joined by Sherrine Peyton of the Kenneth Young Center; Laura Fry of Live4Lali; and two individuals who have experience opioid abuse. The group also will address specific challenges for those experiencing addiction and how COVID-19 has exacerbated those challenges.

The town hall will be live streamed on Morrison's Facebook page, https://bit.ly/2FZ2VIk.

"Opioids have ravaged communities across the country and our local communities are no different. This is truly an epidemic that needs to be approached as a public health crisis," Morrison said in an announcement of the event. "For too long, those experiencing addiction have been stigmatized and ostracized instead of treated with the care and dignity they deserve. This issue is personal to me as I lost a family member to an opioid addiction."

For more information, contact (847) 519-7674 or email District15@CookCountyIL.gov.