Number of overdoses in Illinois drops for first time in five years

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois is "showing progress" toward the state Department of Public Health's three-year goal of reducing opioid deaths by one-third by 2020, an official told lawmakers Monday.

Former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration implemented the plan in 2017, with a focus on prevention, treatment and community response.

Jenny Epstein, director of strategic opioid initiatives, said the number of opioid overdose deaths in Illinois decreased in 2018 for the first time in five years. There were 2,167 opioid deaths in Illinois last year, down from 2,202 in 2017.

"Although any decrease in deaths is something to be celebrated, this decrease was driven primarily by a decline in deaths among non-Hispanic whites," she said.

The rate of opioid overdoses "continued to increase" among black and Hispanic residents during the same time period, highlighting a "persistent disparity."

"What I'm really looking forward to is figuring out where the gaps still are. I think that when (the Department of Public Health) began their action plans, the problem was so big and so much was unknown that these years have gone by quickly - we've learned a lot, we've made a lot of progress, but obviously there's still going to be a lot to do," said state Sen. Rachelle Crowe, a Democrat from Glen Carbon. "There's so many different people affected. There's been such a stigma associated. It's every aspect of our population that's affected, regardless of what areas they come from."

Epstein said her department's budget for opioid-related programs is about $11.5 million - $1.6 million of which comes from state funds and the rest from federal grant money.

"Although we are proud to have made some progress, there is still much work to be done to keep our citizens safe and healthy," Epstein said.