Arlington Heights funeral home hosts naloxone training

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) -- Outside Arlington Heights' Glueckert funeral home are over 2,000 purple ribbons, each represent people projected to die this year in Illinois of a drug overdose. So Far, Glueckert has made funeral arrangements for eight of them, one a month.

"We've seen families time and time again sitting across from the funeral director, they didn't get a second chance for their loved one, " said Jackie Glueckert, funeral home owner.

To provide second chances, the Glueckert Funeral Home has been hosting training sessions all week about the opioid crisis and most importantly, helping people learn how to administer naloxone, the life-saving medication that reverses an overdose.

"The son of my neighbors passed away from a drug overdose, he didn't have to die," said an emotional John Linder.

Preventing more deaths is why the Shaumburg resident came here to learn how to use naloxone. Training participants were shown a police body cam video of how quickly the drug can work. Kevin McCaskey also participated in the training. The restaurant owner says it's time for business owners and community members to learn about the live saving drug.

"It needs to be everywhere, whether it's a library, restaurant, or mall to educate how to use it, this is something that is phenomenal, it can save lives," said McCaskey.

More training sessions are scheduled for tomorrow as part of International Overdose Awareness Day. The goal for The Glueckert Funeral Home is to train 2,100 people, the same amount projected to die this year in Illinois from a drug overdose.