Cook County saw record number of fatal opioid overdoses last year: officials

fentanyl
A homeless man, 24, holds a piece of aluminum foil he used to smoke fentanyl on March 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. Photo credit (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Cook County saw a record number of fatal overdoses from opioids last year, with most of the deaths related to fentanyl, officials said.

There were 2,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2022, breaking the previous record of 1,935 set in 2021, according to Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office numbers released by county government.

More than 91% of the opioid overdose deaths involve fentanyl, a synthetic painkilling drug that is more potent than heroin and morphine.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)