Fighting HIV, Hep C, And Opioid Overdoses On The Streets Of Chicago

By Daniel Tucker
Narcan nasal spray, an opioid overdose-reversing drug, is demonstrated during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Cincinnati.
Narcan nasal spray, an opioid overdose-reversing drug, is demonstrated during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Cincinnati. AP Photo/John Minchillo
Narcan nasal spray, an opioid overdose-reversing drug, is demonstrated during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Cincinnati.
Narcan nasal spray, an opioid overdose-reversing drug, is demonstrated during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Cincinnati. AP Photo/John Minchillo

Fighting HIV, Hep C, And Opioid Overdoses On The Streets Of Chicago

By Daniel Tucker
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On Tuesday, the state announced a new 24/7 hotline in an effort to combat a growing problem in Illinois: opioid overdoses. Nearly 2,000 people died from opioid overdoses in Illinois in 2016. In Chicago, the bulk of overdose deaths are on the city’s West Side, but the opioid addiction problem is citywide.

For more than 20 years, Dan Bigg has been running the Chicago Recovery Alliance, a mostly mobile help center that’s been helping drug addicts survive on the streets of Chicago. He stops by the Morning Shift to talk about his work.