Donald Hutson is one of more than 430 inmates who have overdosed in state prisons since May 2017, according to internal data from the Missouri Department of Corrections. While there are many ways drugs are smuggled into prisons, DOC employees say internal corruption is a key part of the problem.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 35 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A in the month of January, which are part of a recent Hep A outbreak concentrated in the Midwest. Three of those cases were in Champaign county. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is working to reduce the risk of Hepatitis A, HIV and other infections among people who use illicit drugs by offering clean syringes, harm reduction counseling and vaccinations.
Getting off drugs is a challenge, and what comes after detox can be just as difficult. With the state’s growing opioid epidemic, many areas don’t have enough long-term treatment centers to meet the demand, but community groups in some parts of Illinois are stepping in to fill the gaps.
Buprenorphine is one of just three federally approved medications to treat opioid addiction. It’s possible to misuse it because it’s an opioid itself — people snort or inject the medication to get high. And patients with prescriptions can sell or give it away, which is known as diversion. But addiction treatment professionals argue the problem of buprenorphine diversion is often misunderstood. The black market exists, in part, because addiction treatment can be hard to find, and the availability of the drug on the street can be helpful, they say.
According to federal data, only one in ten people with a drug addiction receive treatment. Two bills awaiting action from Governor Bruce Rauner could help more people in Illinois get access to drug addiction treatment.
