On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Lakes Community High School hosted a Heroine and Opioid Awareness meeting. A panel full of Lake County Community residents set out to stop the use of heroine in Lake County.

The panel included people such as the state attorney, Lake County chief of police and former users that were willing to share their stories about recovering from heroine.

Lake County board member, Linda Pederson said, “The stories shared really hit home and it really informed people on the subject, which was what we really wanted.”

Major points covered during the meeting was the rise of heroine use in the Lake County area, and addressing how serious of an issue heroine is.

CEO of Nicasa said, “There are seven times more heroine in the Chicago land area today than there was 10 years ago.”

Luckily, the people of the panel are dedicated to stopping and treating this addiction. The people of the panel were not only the ones there to make a difference, but the audience made a huge impact. By people showing up to meetings, such as the Heroine and Opioid Awareness meeting, more residents of Lake County can spread the word about the prevention of drug usage.

Together as a community we can stop the use of heroine and opioids, and save many lives in the future.