Fighting Fentanyl

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the November 2024 issue.

Battling the uptick in overdose emergencies

While the nation’s opioid crisis makes headlines, many people may not realize the severity of the problem right here in the western suburbs—particularly when it comes to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is one of the most insidious elements of this public health emergency.

Getting a handle on the spread of fentanyl is becoming a bigger part of the job with each passing day for people like Danielle DeGrado, the clinical coordinator of addiction services at Endeavor Health Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville. She says it’s becoming more and more common to find fentanyl in other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines, and counterfeit pills without being aware of its presence. “This aligns with data indicating that fentanyl’s presence in nonopioid drugs have more than doubled in many areas, contributing to the surge in overdose deaths,” she explains.

Fentanyl FAQs

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl can be prescribed by doctors as a pharmaceutical to treat severe pain. But it’s often made illegally and added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also can be very difficult to detect.

What are the main risks associated with fentanyl?

• Overdose: Given its extreme potency—fentanyl is about 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin—even a small amount can cause a fatal overdose.

• Illicit contamination: Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, such heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills, without the user’s knowledge, which increases the risk of unintentional overdose.

• Addiction and dependence: Fentanyl is highly addictive, with even short-term use potentially leading to physical and psychological dependence.

• Accidental exposure: Fentanyl can be absorbed through skin or inhaled, making it dangerous even to those who handle it unintentionally.

“The risks associated with fentanyl are severe and life threatening,” DeGrado explains. “Harm-reduction strategies, such as access to fentanyl test strips and Narcan, are crucial in preventing fatal overdoses for those who are exposed to it.”

How big of a problem is fentanyl here in Illinois, and in the western suburbs in particular?

According to statewide data, opioid overdoses increased 8.2 percent from 2021 to 2022, with 3,261 opioid-related overdose fatalities in 2022 alone. The increase in the number of fatalities is largely attributed to the rise of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. Since 2013, synthetic opioid deaths in Illinois have increased 3,341 percent.

Fentanyl is also a significant issue in the greater western suburbs. According to DuPage County overdose statistics, the region has seen an increase in opioid overdose deaths, driven largely by fentanyl. In 2023, there were 114 overdose-related deaths, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl being a major factor in more than 70 percent of those cases.

Confronting a Crisis

Thanks in part to the work of one recent Naperville North High School grad, Illinois now has another weapon to use in its fight against opioid overdoses. While interning for State Senator Laura Ellman during the summer of 2023, Lizzie Patterson helped craft a bill that would make fentanyl test strips—small strips of paper used to detect the presence of fentanyl in a variety of substances—more accessible in the state by allowing community-based overdose-prevention providers to distribute test strips at places where people who use substances can more easily access them, such as all-night laundromats or bus stops. The eventual Senate Bill 3350 was signed into law by Governor Pritzker in August.

“The use of fentanyl test strips is increasingly recognized as an important part of the public-health response to the opioid crisis,” notes Danielle DeGrado, the clinical coordinator of addiction services at Endeavor Health Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville. “Research shows that when people know that fentanyl is present, they are more likely to alter their behavior to reduce risks, either by avoiding the drug altogether, using smaller amounts, not using alone, or having Narcan available.”

Patterson, now a sophomore business major at the University of South Carolina, was surprised that her bill made it all the way to the governor’s desk but is excited by the changes she hopes it inspires when it goes into effect this coming January: “I hope that it not only saves lives by preventing overdoses, but that it raises awareness around the issue of fentanyl and maybe inspires other states to pick up the cause as well.”

Photo: iStock