Illinois reports 8% decline in drug overdose deaths in 2023

Illinois recorded an 8.3% drop in overall drug overdose deaths in 2023, exceeding a nationwide decline of 4%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Opioid overdose deaths declined 9.7% in the state, compared to 3% nationally. The new data shows 3,502 overdose deaths in Illinois from all causes in 2023, 317 fewer than in 2022, according to a news release.

The new data comes as the IDPH unveiled an expanded Overdose Data Dashboard that shares more data and makes the tool easier to use for both researchers and the general public.

The 8.3% decrease in overdose deaths from any drug in Illinois marks the first annual reduction in drug overdose deaths in the state since 2018, according to the new Semiannual Overdose Data Report compiled by IDPH.

Pritzker said in his budget address that, subject to review by the General Assembly, the Illinois Department of Human Services will consolidate its mental health and substance use divisions into an integrated Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery in order to improve access to care.

“My administration has worked closely with community providers, experts in the field, and people in recovery to produce a comprehensive statewide overdose response plan anchored in equity – and today’s announcement reflects those efforts,” Pritzker said in the Thursday news release.

“From expanding overdose education and Naloxone distribution services to increasing access to recovery homes, we are seeing how our targeted investments are making a difference and saving lives,” Pritzker said.

“I am encouraged by the reduction in overdose deaths here in Illinois,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in the release, but added that more work needs to be done.

“Mental health and substance use disorder is a priority of our Healthy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan, and IDPH is proud to display our new upgraded overdose data dashboard as an effort to bring more information to the public and engage in deeper partnerships for impact. Our goal remains implementing evidence-based solutions to further decrease overdose deaths here in Illinois," he said.

“Providing life-saving resources for communities is effective, and we are heartened to see this downward trend in overdose deaths. Harm reduction saves lives,” IDHS Secretary Dulce M. Quintero said.

The data showed there were 2,855 fatalities attributed to opioid overdoses in Illinois in 2023, 305 fewer than 2022, a decrease of 9.7%, according to the release.

In 2022, total overdose deaths in Illinois increased 5.1% from 2021, and deaths involving opioids were up 8.2%, according to the release.

Deaths involving synthetic opioids (i.e., fentanyl and fentanyl analogs) decreased by 9.5% in Illinois in 2023, according to the release.

Deaths involving heroin and natural and semisynthetic opioids decreased by 21.2% and 17.4%, respectively in 2023. One drug category that saw a notable increase in deaths in 2023 was xylazine, a non-opioid sedative that is used as an adulterant, according to the release.

The report indicates deaths involving xylazine were up 6.4% to 249, according to the release.

State officials note several factors likely contributed to this decline:

• sustained efforts to increase naloxone distribution throughout the state;

• community outreach through harm reduction organizations and drug overdose prevention programs;

• the availability of fentanyl test strips and other drug checking technologies;

• updates to the statewide standing order for opioid reversal agents;

• and improved access to treatment and medication-assisted recovery.

IDHS and IDPH acknowledge that racial disparities in overdose morbidity remains a significant issue, as Black individuals are still more likely to experience an overdose death than other racial groups.

IDHS has distributed 1 million 2-dose boxes of Narcan (generically called naloxone) to community-based organizations, substance use disorder treatment centers, harm reduction organizations, hospitals, and clinics across Illinois in the last four years, according to the release.