Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office Confirms Record 2,000 Opioid Overdose Deaths in Cook County for 2022

Overwhelming majority of cases involve fentanyl

Cook County, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed 2,000 opioid overdose deaths for 2022, breaking the previous record of 1,935 set in 2021—more than 91% of opioid overdose deaths involved fentanyl. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

No Opioid Deaths Listed in Park Forest

eNews Park Forest’s review of the Cook County Medical Examiner Case Archive found no incidents of deaths related to fentanyl. This includes fentanyl as a primary or secondary. Nor does the archive say that someone from Park Forest died elsewhere in Cook County from an opioid overdose.

Approximately 78% of opioid overdose deaths are male. African Americans make up 56% of the deaths, Latinos account for just under 15%, and whites constitute 29%. Just over 70% of the overdose deaths were in Chicago.

2022 Opioid Opioid Overdose Deaths: The Numbers

Year	Total Opioid Overdose Deaths	Fentanyl-Related
2022	2,000	1,825
2021	1,935	1,721
2020	1,846	1,533
2019	1,295	961
2018	1,170	847
2017	1,195	669
2016	1,126	560
2015	676	103

Age Groups Impacted

The age group most impacted is 50- to 59-year-olds, accounting for 27% of the overdose deaths. The year’s youngest narcotic overdose death in Cook County was a 12-year-old boy from Chicago; the oldest was an 84-year-old woman from Chicago.