Police and health professionals hold “Opioid Crisis Next Door” conference in Springfield

Posted on August 4, 2021
Dan Zsido, a former sheriff’s lieutenant who now is an anti-drug advocate, spoke at an “Opioid Next Door” conference in Springfield. (Photo courtesy: Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The scourge of opioids is not going away. 

Police and health professionals attended an annual conference in Springfield: “The Opioid Crisis Next Door.” Advocate Dan Zsido, a retired sheriff’s lieutenant, said he lost a sister to this addiction and believes he can help beat the crisis one person at a time — especially if that one person tells two more people, and so on.

While fighting crime is important, “it’s more important that we offer resources at the time of an overdose,” Zsido said, “to try to connect with them to try to run prevention efforts, to see if we can try to impact that person, regardless of whether they are willing to accept help or not.” 

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network puts on the conference annually in Springfield.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]. 

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…