OGLE COUNTY, Ill. (WTVO) — Ogle County Board Member Joseph Simms recounted his battle with drug addiction on Overdose Awareness Day to guide others away from drug abuse.

"I started using in my early teens. By the time I was 20, I had already graduated to illicit drugs. Through my 20s into my 30s, I had graduated to narcotic heroin abuse," said Simms.

Simms suffered three overdoses before he decided to make a change.

"I suffered three overdoses... I was very fortunate to come out of it. I have a lot of friends who did not make it," the board member shared.

Awareness campaigns and community action have helped many to avoid death in recent years, but one doctor said there is always more work to be done.

"We've seen positive trends in relation to opioid overdose in the last two years, wit

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