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McHenry County health officials report declines in opioid overdoses and urge targeted outreach
Summary
Epidemiologists reported declines in emergency department visits, EMS encounters and overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024 but identified geographic hotspots and continued fentanyl involvement. Officials said harm-reduction activities likely contributed but that causation is not established.
McHenry County Department of Health epidemiologists reported a decline in several opioid-related measures in 2024 compared with 2023, while identifying geographic and demographic patterns officials said will guide outreach.
Maura Gossen, an epidemiologist with the department, told the board on March 17 that emergency department opioid overdose visits were about 42% lower in 2024 than in 2023 and that EMS encounters where naloxone was given declined by roughly 30—28% over the same period. Overdose deaths fell from 30 in 2023 to 21 in 2024, a roughly 30% decrease, according to coroner data provided to the department.
Gossen said the department uses four surveillance sources: ED visits, EMS encounters, coroner overdose mortality data and Illinois Poison Center reports. Demographically, men accounted for at least twice the rates of overdose across death, ED and EMS measures; age groups with the highest burden were people in their 30s, although ED visits and deaths showed a slight shift toward people aged 20—29. Racial/ethnic rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black residents, while non-Hispanic White residents accounted for the greatest absolute number of events.
Gossen presented ZIP-code maps that showed consistently high rates in Wonder Lake (ZIP 60097) across datasets and higher rates in the county's northeastern area near the state line (ZIP 60071, including Richmond and Spring Grove). EMS encounter rates were comparatively higher in parts of the Marengo area, reflecting where overdoses occurred rather than patients' residences.
Toxicology for overdose deaths showed fentanyl involved in over half of 2024 substance-related deaths, followed by prescription opioids such as oxycodone and tramadol, stimulants including cocaine, and depressants such as alcohol and benzodiazepines. Poison control calls in 2024 included 21 opioid-related exposures; most (16) involved polysubstance exposures that included at least one opioid.
Gossen said the department's overdose prevention and response team distributed more than 1,700 fentanyl test strips and nearly 2,500 boxes of naloxone (two-dose boxes) in 2024. "We can't say specifically what has caused that decrease," Gossen said, "but we are pretty confident in saying that it is all the harm reduction that has been done by MCDH and also all of our partner agencies." She added that the department has no statistical proof tying the programs to the decline.
Board members and staff discussed outreach barriers in Wonder Lake and potential pop-up locations such as laundromats, liquor stores, food pantries, and beaches for seasonal events. Staff noted prior pop-ups in the area and said they are pursuing vending-machine locations and partnerships with local businesses to increase access to naloxone and test strips.
The department said an infographic and an abbreviated report will be posted on the Health Atlas and the department's website.
