Politics & Government

Elmhurst Legislator Appointed to Task Force to Study Heroin Epidemic

The panel is charged with studying the need for new legislation to combat the heroin problem.

State Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) was selected to serve on the new Young Adults Heroin Task Force.

Reboletti, assistant minority leader in the House, said the 16-member panel is charged with studying the need for legislation to address the growing problem of heroin use among teens and young adults in Illinois.

“DuPage County has experienced a record number of heroin related deaths this year, a staggering trend that we are unfortunately seeing echoed throughout the Chicago suburbs,” Reboletti said in a prepared statement.

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DuPage County is ahead of pace for heroin deaths this year, more than 40 to date. There were 38 heroin-related deaths in all of 2012.

The task force, created by members of the Illinois General Assembly by House Bill 946, is composed of a bipartisan group of legislators and educators who will work with area law enforcement officials, medical professionals, community members and parents, to study heroin use across the state.

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“I have seen firsthand the toll heroin takes on young people and their families here in the suburbs,” said Reboletti, a former narcotics prosecutor. “It is important to continue to have an open dialogue with the community as we look for ways to combat the prevalence of heroin use among Illinois teens.”

The task force will conduct subject matter hearings, and will issue a public report of its findings and recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly by June 2014.

Source: State Rep. Dennis Reboletti's Office


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