Drug-related deaths surge to 14 in Will County

will county — Drug-related deaths over the past two weeks have risen to 14 in Will County. As county authorities had anticipated, users are mixing cocaine, heroin and the synthetic opioid fentanyl to deadly effect

Three drug toxicity cases were reported in Joliet between June 10 and Saturday, according to a statement from Will County Coroner Laurie Summers’ office.

Another drug toxicity death was reported Tuesday at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center in Bolingbrook.

Summers did not provide further information about those cases Wednesday.

There was one drug toxicity case reported June 11 that involved a 25-year-old male victim in the 600 block of Ida Street, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

The latest cases join 10 other suspected drug overdoses that have been reported in Will County since June 6.

Summers’ office said there is a “spike in cocaine and heroin being mixed with fentanyl in the Will County area.”

Her office recommends people go to Will County office building, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, to obtain Narcan and fentanyl test strips. They also can get those items by calling 815-774-7486.

Narcan is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.

The first eight cases that occurred in a 24-hour span between June 6 and 7 took place in Joliet, New Lenox, Lockport and Wilmington, Summers said.

On June 6, officers were notified of the death of a 35-year-old in a guest room at the Star Inn on West Jefferson Street, English said.

On the same day, a 31-year-old woman was reported to have suffered from an apparent overdose death in her home in the 500 block of East Division Street, Lockport Deputy Police Chief Ron Huff said.

On June 7, officers found a 41-year-old man dead of a suspected opioid overdose in a residence in the 32300 block of West River Road in Wilmington, Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Mitchell said.