Streamwood residents hold anti-heroin walk

Streamwood residents walked together on Saturday, July 11, to promote heroin awareness and seek a safer, drug-free community. The group was escorted down Park Boulevard, one of the town's main streets, by Streamwood DARE Officer Matt Stastny and his vehicle.

The event was organized by Diane Kriescher in response to the loss of young lives in her community to heroin. Kriescher has created a Facebook page called Heroin Awareness Streamwood in an effort to educate herself and others about addiction and the heroin epidemic.

While working on the page, she noticed that other communities had walks and felt the desire to bring awareness to Streamwood. She told the rally she doesn't know how to stop heroin, but she did talk about five ideas to create change.

• Sign the petition called Anthony's Act to amend the Affordable Care Act to provide a minimum of 90 days inpatient drug/alcohol treatment instead of the current 30 days.

• The Gloucester, Massachusetts, Police Department started a program in May where any addict may walk into the department with any drug and paraphernalia they may have and ask for help. They will not be arrested but sent to rehab. The department has helped 35 addicts get into a rehabilitation facility.

• Petition Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign House Bill 3219 allowing pharmacies to add a four-digit locking cap to painkiller prescriptions. The bill has passed in the House and Senate.

• All Rhode Island CVS pharmacies have Narcan over the counter. In Illinois, a prescription is needed for the opiate reversal lifesaving drug. Streamwood Fire Department emergency medical technicians carry Narcan, but Streamwood Police do not.

The event concluded with a release of balloons in memory of those lost to addiction.

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