For more data and information on how opioids have been affecting Illinois, please visit our interactive
Opioid overdoses in Illinois have been increasing dramatically in recent years. In 2016, there were 1,946 opioid overdose fatalities in Illinois – nearly twice the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents and more than one and a half times the number of all homicides. Much of this can be attributable to the rise of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and its analogues. Overall opioid overdose deaths increased 82% between 2013 and 2016; during that same period of time, overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids increased tenfold.
The overall drug overdose rate in Illinois in 2016 was 18.9 per 100,000 population and ranks 28th in the country.
In December 2017, IDPH released a comprehensive state opioid data report, compiling data from a variety of sources to provide an epidemiological snapshot of the impact of opioids on our state.