Arlington Hts. Police Station has Narcan, fentanyl strips
To help keep our community safe, the Arlington Heights Police Department has introduced a Harm Reduction Resource Station in the police department lobby, 200 E. Sigwalt Ave., to collect unwanted prescription drugs in pill or liquid form and used/unwanted sharps, as well as the distribution of Narcan and fentanyl testing strips.
These resources are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost - with no questions asked.
Members of the public seeking Narcan may visit the police station and receive a token from desk staff in order to retrieve Narcan from the vending machine and/or access to fentanyl testing strips.
The CDC recommends that anyone taking high-dose opioid medications prescribed by a doctor, or people who are battling addiction with opioids, should carry an opioid reversal agent such as Narcan.
A 2022 study in the Harm Reduction Journal showed that Narcan reversed approximately 95% of opioid overdoses with one or more doses.
"In a little less than a decade, the Arlington Heights Police Department has identified 78 Arlington Heights residents who have died as a result of drug overdose. Any untimely death is certainly one too many, and 78 is a daunting number," said Mayor Tom Hayes.
"The village's takeback initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of properly disposing of medications and needles that could create risk if misused."
The Arlington Heights Police Department further supports current programs in place, such as the Community Addiction and Recovery Effort (CARE) Program, wherein nearly 300 referrals were provided for substance use disorder counseling and treatment just in the past year. It is funded through an ongoing Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority grant.
The police department began developing this project with funding from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, which was distributed to local municipalities through the Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement.
Arlington Heights partnered with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County for disposal needs, and Live4Lali to supply the overdose reversal agent Narcan and preventative fentanyl testing strips.
If you or a loved one is prescribed high-dose opioids or battling with opioid addiction, the Arlington Heights Police Department encourages you to reach out for assistance in navigating this potentially dangerous situation. For information, call the Arlington Heights Police Department at (847) 368-5300.