Dixon commits to families of overdose deaths after numbers surpass 100K

DIXON, Ill. (WIFR) - A first in the country, the city of Dixon proclaims itself a Recovery Friendly Community after more than 100,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in the last twelve months alone.

The Dixon Police Department shared Saturday’s proclamation via Facebook with a message in solidarity with the city’s principles on substance abuse recovery:

“Behind every death, there is a family. Last year, more than 100,000 people lost their lives to a drug overdose. Substance Use Disorder and mental illness are two of the most critical issues facing every community. We are here to help. Dixon has officially become the 1st community in the country to adopt this Recovery Friendly Community Proclamation.”
Dixon Police Department

The proclamation outlines what the city is doing to help those in the recovery community, and those seeking help through its 2015 Safe Passage Initiative, 2018 Project OPEN (Opioid Prevention Engagement Network), the establishment of recovery homes, Naloxone training, and its 2021 Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative.