In the Loop

In Chicago, when we talk about gun violence, we’re usually talking about homicides -- shootings, or gang activity. Nationally, that conversation usually centers around school shootings. But in rural Illinois, between 2012 and 2016, gun violence looks much different. More than 80 percent of gun-related deaths in rural Illinois were suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that’s about 20 points higher than the national average. Morning Shift talks to Madelyn Beck, reporter for the Illinois Newsroom, who has been reporting on suicides downstate as part of Illinois Newsroom’s gun violence series. We also hear from Doreen Marshall, Vice President of Programs for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The “avalanche” started a few years ago, says Marty Cook. Officials in Maine Township, which includes a bunch of northwest suburbs like Des Plaines and Park Ridge, began seeing a trend: A lot of young people were seeking drug recovery services, he says. 

The “avalanche” started a few years ago, says Marty Cook. Officials in Maine Township, which includes a bunch of northwest suburbs like Des Plaines and Park Ridge, began seeing a trend: A lot of young people were seeking drug recovery services, he says. 

Drew Migdal started experimenting with drugs and alcohol when he was young — at the cusp of his teenage years. Now, he is 17 years sober. Living at a halfway house helped him on his path to sobriety. He loved his experience there so much that it influences the work he does today. Migdal is the co-founder of Bridges Sober Living, a halfway home near the Logan Square and Avondale neighborhoods of Chicago. Bridges Sober Living sees Chicago’s growing opioid crisis first hand. According to Migdal, nearly 80 percent of the homes’ clients are dealing with addiction related to opioids.

Drew Migdal started experimenting with drugs and alcohol when he was young — at the cusp of his teenage years. Now, he is 17 years sober. Living at a halfway house helped him on his path to sobriety. He loved his experience there so much that it influences the work he does today. Migdal is the co-founder of Bridges Sober Living, a halfway home near the Logan Square and Avondale neighborhoods of Chicago. Bridges Sober Living sees Chicago’s growing opioid crisis first hand. According to Migdal, nearly 80 percent of the homes’ clients are dealing with addiction related to opioids.

William Davis, 54, said he used heroin for about half of his life and overdosed twice. He credits one type of treatment for saving his life: Suboxone. “It’s saving my life. It’s actually saving my life,” Davis said of the treatment. In 2013, The New York Times called Suboxone a “blockbuster drug” while noting its potential pitfalls — mainly that Suboxone’s primary ingredient, buprenorphine, is also an opioid “that can produce euphoria and cause dependency.” Dr. Thomas Huggett treats heroin addicts at Lawndale Christian. He says he’s been prescribing Suboxone for about two years and calls it "amazing." “There’s been a heroin problem on the West Side for many years,” Huggett said. “But it’s really been over the last couple of years where it’s really escalated and we’ve really seen a lot more problems with overdose deaths.”  As part of a weeklong series on the opioid crisis from the perspective of those affected, Morning Shift sat down with both Davis and Huggett. 

William Davis, 54, said he used heroin for about half of his life and overdosed twice. He credits one type of treatment for saving his life: Suboxone. “It’s saving my life. It’s actually saving my life,” Davis said of the treatment. In 2013, The New York Times called Suboxone a “blockbuster drug” while noting its potential pitfalls — mainly that Suboxone’s primary ingredient, buprenorphine, is also an opioid “that can produce euphoria and cause dependency.” Dr. Thomas Huggett treats heroin addicts at Lawndale Christian. He says he’s been prescribing Suboxone for about two years and calls it "amazing." “There’s been a heroin problem on the West Side for many years,” Huggett said. “But it’s really been over the last couple of years where it’s really escalated and we’ve really seen a lot more problems with overdose deaths.”  As part of a weeklong series on the opioid crisis from the perspective of those affected, Morning Shift sat down with both Davis and Huggett. 

Laura Fry says her colleagues told her for months that something wasn’t right with her son. She worked at the Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois as a medical technologist. Even though she saw patients grappling with overdoses and addictions every day at work, she says she couldn’t see it in her own child. “I had blinders on,” Fry told Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia. “He was using drugs, and I continued to utter the three words that have been my biggest parental mistake: ‘Not my son.’” Her son, Alex Mathieson, was addicted to heroin, and Fry says she chased drug dealers out of their driveway with a baseball bat. But Mathieson overcame his addiction and currently works as an outreach coordinator at Live4Lali, a suburban advocacy organization that aims to prevent substance abuse. Fry is the organization’s director of operations.  As part of a weeklong series on the opioid crisis from the perspective of those affected, Morning Shift sat down with both Fry and Mathieson.

Laura Fry says her colleagues told her for months that something wasn’t right with her son. She worked at the Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois as a medical technologist. Even though she saw patients grappling with overdoses and addictions every day at work, she says she couldn’t see it in her own child. “I had blinders on,” Fry told Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia. “He was using drugs, and I continued to utter the three words that have been my biggest parental mistake: ‘Not my son.’” Her son, Alex Mathieson, was addicted to heroin, and Fry says she chased drug dealers out of their driveway with a baseball bat. But Mathieson overcame his addiction and currently works as an outreach coordinator at Live4Lali, a suburban advocacy organization that aims to prevent substance abuse. Fry is the organization’s director of operations.  As part of a weeklong series on the opioid crisis from the perspective of those affected, Morning Shift sat down with both Fry and Mathieson.

This week, Morning Shift is talking to people who are on the frontlines of the opioid crisis on a daily basis. One of those people is Steve Kamenicky, known on the streets as “Ponytail Steve.” He is fully aware of the harsh truths about the opioid epidemic and overdoses having been a heroin addict for four decades.