The opioid epidemic has a major issue throughout the United States so it’s no surprise that Illinois mirrored the same issues. From 2013 to the present day, the number of opioid overdoses steadily increased. In fact, in 2020 there were 2,944 reported deaths due to opioids which is a 33% increase from 2019 and an 80% increase from 2013.
A racial disparity has also been shown in opioid overdose as African-American and Hispanic populations visited the emergency room five times more often than white or non-Hispanic populations. The state of Illinois has taken steps to try and prevent further addiction but it will take time before we see any real change.
In the meantime, we can only hope that people will seek help before it’s too late.
Infographic Source: https://www.northernillinoisrecovery.com/drug-addiction-statistics-in-illinois/