COOK COUNTY, Ill. — People who have lost loved ones to opioids as well as political and health leaders are calling for more resources in the fight against the crisis.

At Cook Cook County Health, there is a new push in the opioid crisis. 

“We need our leaders in Springfield to prioritize human lives over policies,” said Chelsea Laliberte Barnes, from the Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition. 

Barnes is among those at Cook Cook County Health who are calling for more resources in the fight against opioids, as the number of overdoses and deaths continue. 

Barnes’ mission began 16 years ago, with the death of her brother, Alex. 

“We didn’t know enough. We didn’t have the skills, the tools, the knowledge that we have now to intervene,” Barnes said. 

Preliminary numbers from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office show 1,816 opioid-related deaths in 2023. While a slight decrease from the 2,002 deaths in 2022, it is still a marked increase from prior years. 

“The vast majority of these deaths, 90% of them fentanyl,” said Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkuma.

In 2015, Cook County reported 97 fentanyl-related deaths. In 2023, that number was more than 1,600, surpassing the number of homicides and auto accidents combined. 

According to Arunkuma, 80% of those deaths were male. 56% were African-American, 27% were White and slightly less than 15% were Latino. 

The most impacted aged demographic in Cook County for opioid-related deaths was 50 to 59 years old in 2023. 

On the whole, the youngest opioid-related death in Cook County was an eight-month-old in Chicago. The oldest was a 93-year-old woman in suburban Arlington Heights.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the supply of illicit fentanyl must be stopped and added that most of it is coming from China. 

“They’re masked as legitimate commerce,” Krishnamoorthi said. “Companies that do legitimate business in the US and then have a side hustle of exporting illicit fentanyl.”

Krishnamoorthi said the president recently signed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which allows sanctions to be placed on those companies and foreign governments that are responsible, for those who have lost loved ones. 

“It just seems like we just feel powerless, almost, to take anything on, but we need to,” said Maria Kouts, whose son died because of opioids. 

His story was the inspiration for a documentary named in his memory. 

Kouts now pushes for local leaders to change zoning laws to allow for treatment centers.

“We need places that they have they can get into community. The opposite of addiction is connection,” Kouts said. 

It is the community that is leading much of the effort in Cook County where opioid deaths lead all others.

It is a sobering statistic for those who are looking to change the narrative on a public health crisis.

“We have a massive rainy day fund here in Illinois but we’re in a monsoon. We cannot continue to double down on punishing people, we have to provide them with access to care and treatment, and focus on saving their lives,” Barnes said. 

Visit Congerss.gov for more information about the FENDoff Act. 

Visit the Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition website for information on how to get help for you or someone you know who may be struggling with opioid use.