From the McHenry County Health Department:

MCDH launches Opioid Surveillance and Response monthly reports

McHENRY COUNTY — The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is announcing the official launch of its Opioid Surveillance and Response monthly reports on its website.

In 2019, the Opioid Surveillance and Response program was developed in response to the increased opioid overdose health burden experienced by McHenry County residents. The surveillance program is used to assist public health professionals, community partners and county residents in identifying significant increases in opioid overdose clusters throughout the county.

Monthly surveillance reports available to the public will provide insights for public health professionals, community partners and concerned county residents.

Early identification of opioid clusters allows MCDH and its partners to intervene early and mitigate negative outcomes.

Overall trends are also monitored to help inform community partners with their mitigation efforts.

“Preventing opioid-related overdoses in McHenry County requires all of us to work together,” said MCDH Epidemiologist Ryan Sachs.

“With this system in place, accurate and timely data is made available to inform public health response and policies, which could be used to prevent opioid overdoses.”

Not all opioid overdoses result in death, but the alarming increase in opioid overdose deaths in recent years can be attributed to the rise of dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. 

Synthetic opioids are fast-acting and can be hundreds to thousands of times more toxic than heroin. Heroin and other street drugs are often mixed with fentanyl to increase their effects, which can quickly become a lethal combination.

In May and April, county officials and the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition warned the public of fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescriptions in medication.

To learn more about the Opioid Surveillance and Response program and to review monthly reports, please visit https://bit.ly/MCDHBehavioralHealth.

For a list of locations in McHenry County offering naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, please visit https://idph.illinois.gov/OpioidDataDashboard/.