Illinois Sees Large Opioid OD Death Spike Amid Coronavirus Restrictions

Tim Vander Tuuk, WLIP News (4-27-21)

(Chicago, IL)  Illinois saw a major jump in opioid deaths in 2020, fueled by restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Health officials say just under 3-thousand-people suffered an opioid-related death last year, a marked increase from the just over 700 deaths in 2019. Coronavirus restrictions were the biggest contributing factor, leading to depression, feelings of loneliness, and other things that turn individuals to drugs. The hardest hit age group was the mid 30’s to the mid 40’s, who suffered the most total overdose deaths…though those under 25 saw the biggest rise, a 66% jump in overdose deaths from 2019 numbers.