Across 2013–2022, opioid-involved death rates were consistently highest among residents aged 35–44 and 45–54, both peaking near or above 50 per 100,000 in 2020. This represents an almost 3-fold increase from 2013.

The 25–34 age group saw sharp increases starting in 2015, reaching rates above 40 per 100,000 by 2020–2022. This indicates about a 1.5-fold increase from 2013.

Rates for 55–64 also rose steadily, approaching 40 per 100,000 by 2022, narrowing the gap with younger middle-aged groups. This indicates about 2-fold increase from 2015.

Adolescents and young adults (15–24) maintained the lowest rates but experienced a noticeable uptick after 2019.

Nearly all age groups experienced their largest year-to-year jumps between 2019 and 2020, suggesting a shared external driver during that period.

Provisional data for 2023 suggest declines across most age groups, with rates falling sharply from their 2020–2022 peaks; the 55–64 and 45–54 groups—previously among the highest drop below Illinois’ 2022 benchmark of 44.5 per 100,000, while proportional shares of deaths shift modestly toward midlife adults; however, these numbers are preliminary and not yet confirmed.

From 2013–2022, females consistently had much higher opioid-involved death rates than males in suburban Cook County.

Female rates rose sharply after 2015, peaking at ~40 per 100,000 in 2020 and reaching a new high (~44) in 2022. Almost a 3 folds increase by 2022.

Male rates increased gradually over the decade, with a notable spike in 2020, but remained well below female rates.

Both sexes experienced their largest single-year rise between 2019 and 2020, suggesting a shared external driver.

The persistent gap points to potential sex-specific risk factors or differences in exposure, treatment access, or reporting. By 2023, this gap seems to be narrowing.

Provisional data for 2023 indicate notable declines in opioid-related death rates among both sexes, with male rates dropping sharply from a 2022 peak near 42 per 100,000 to well below the Illinois 2022 benchmark (37.3), and female rates falling to under 10 per 100,000; males continue to account for the large majority of deaths by proportion, but these numbers remain preliminary and unconfirmed.

From 2013–2022, NH Black residents experienced the steepest and highest rise in opioid-involved death rates, peaking above 50 per 100,000 in 2022. This represents more than a 5-fold increase over the decade.

NH White residents saw persistently high rates, generally second to NH Black, with a peak around 30 per 100,000 in 2020.

Hispanic residents had lower rates than NH Black and NH White populations but showed steady growth, a 4-fold increase from 2013 to 2022.

NH Asian residents maintained consistently low rates, though slight increases appeared in some years.

The sharpest increases across most groups occurred between 2019 and 2020, highlighting a period of accelerated disparities.

Provisional data for 2023 show declines across all racial/ethnic groups, with NH Black residents, who have historically carried the highest burden, falling sharply from their 2020–2022 peaks, while NH White and Hispanic groups also drop from elevated levels; all values are preliminary and not yet confirmed.

High-burden clusters: Olympia Fields show the most extreme opioid-related death rates (over 1,000 per 100,000), far exceeding other municipalities, indicating localized crises that warrant targeted intervention.

Municipalities-level disparities: Small Municipalities like Phoenix and Dixmoor have disproportionately high rates despite lower absolute counts, suggesting that smaller populations may face heightened vulnerability when overdose events occur.

Urban vs. suburban spread: The map reveals concentrated darker clusters in south and west suburban Cook County, aligning with historically under-resourced areas and pointing to persistent health inequities.

Community-level burden: Municipalities such as Maywood and Melrose Park illustrate both high counts and elevated rates, underscoring how cumulative community burden may strain local healthcare, law enforcement, and social services.

Geographic variation in exposure: Large portions of northern suburbs show lighter shading (lower rates), highlighting stark contrasts in opioid mortality risk across the county, reflecting differences in socioeconomic conditions, access to care, and structural determinants of health.

Peak-and-decline across ages: Admission rates spike in 2016–2017 for every age group (highest in 25–34), then decline steadily through 2022; counts mirror this fall.

Opioid-invovled hospital admissions concentrates in midlife: After 2016, 35–44 and 45–54 maintain the largest proportions of hospitalizations, even as their rates fall.

Youth and older adults diverge: 15–24 drops sharply in both rate and share after 2016, while 55–64 (and to a lesser extent 65+) retain a meaningful and slightly rising proportion.

No pandemic rebound in admissions: Unlike emergency department visits, hospitalizations continue to fall through 2020–2022, consistent with heightened admission thresholds.

Different curves, same peak window: Age-adjusted male admission rates jump earliest and highest (peak around 2016–2017) and then decline steadily; female rates peak later/lower and also fall by 2022 both sexes are well below mid-decade highs, with males still above females.

No pandemic rebound: Unlike ED visits, hospital admissions keep dropping through 2020–2022, consistent with higher admission thresholds (this observation requires further investigation).

Peak then broad decline across groups: Hospital admission rates surge in 2016–2017 for all races / ethnicities, then decrease steadily through 2022. The drop is most pronounced for NH Black residents (highest mid-decade peak, still above others by 2022), and substantial for NH White and Hispanic groups; NH Asian remains lowest throughout.

No pandemic rebound in admissions: Unlike ED trends, admissions continue to decline through 2020–2022, consistent with higher admission thresholds.

Equity signal remains clear: Even as rates fall, NH Black residents carry the highest per-resident admission risk across most years, indicating persistent exposure and access barriers.

Concentrated hospital burden: Maywood again stands out with the highest admission rate (1,100.1 per 100,000), showing a persistent pattern of opioid-related harm across multiple indicators (deaths, ED, and hospitalizations).

Regional clustering: Blue Island, and several south suburban Municipalities (Dixmoor, Harvey, Phoenix, Riverdale, Calumet Park) report high admission rates, suggesting geographic inequities already visible in mortality and ED data.

Small communities, big impact: Municipalities like Dixmoor and Phoenix have smaller populations but disproportionately high hospitalization rates.

Overlap with opioid-related deaths / ED hotspots: Areas such as Harvey and Maywood consistently appear across all three outcomes, highlighting structural vulnerabilities.

Geographic disparities: The map shows central, south, and western suburbs shaded darkest, while northern regions remain lighter.

Naloxone expansion: Distribution of Naloxone (NLX) kits increased steadily, surpassing 4,000 annually by 2024, reflecting sustained scale-up of harm reduction infrastructure.

Fentanyl test strips plateau: Test strip distribution rose sharply by 2021, then plateaued around 200–220 per year through 2024.

Training surge: Training of individuals grew modestly through 2023, then peaked dramatically in 2024 (>900 trained), which might indicate a surge in community engagement.

Overdose response trend: Naloxone doses used in overdoses peaked in 2022–2023 (about 50 per year), then declined through 2024.