Will County Sees 50% Drop in Opioid Deaths, But Alarming Rise in Suicides

Will County Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting October 2, 2025

Article Summary: Will County is experiencing a dramatic 50% reduction in opioid overdose deaths compared to last year, a success officials attribute to proactive naloxone distribution and community programs. However, Coroner Laurie Summers reported a simultaneous and “condensing” increase in suicides, with rates on track to surpass the previous year’s total.

Overdose and Suicide Trends Key Points:

• Dr. Kathleen Burke, Program Coordinator for Substance Use Initiatives, reported that opioid overdose deaths are down by over 50% compared to the same time last year.

• Coroner Laurie Summers confirmed the drop in overdose fatalities but warned that suicides are “going way up” and occurring more frequently.

• The success in reducing opioid deaths is credited to the county’s widespread Narcan (naloxone) distribution strategy and substance initiative programs.

• Coroner Summers noted that cocaine-related deaths are now an emerging area of concern, while cases involving fentanyl and heroin are decreasing.

Will County officials on Thursday, October 2, 2025, reported a starkly mixed public health landscape: while efforts to combat the opioid crisis are showing remarkable success with overdose deaths down by half, the county is grappling with a significant and troubling rise in suicides.

During the Public Health & Safety Committee meeting, Dr. Kathleen Burke, the county’s Program Coordinator for Substance Use Initiatives, delivered positive news regarding the fight against opioids. “Our overdose deaths are still down over 50% compared to last year,” she stated, attributing the trend to the county’s proactive strategies. “Our strategy is working. Our Narcan strategy has reduced deaths.”

Data from the Will County Coroner’s office shows 19 opioid overdose deaths so far in 2025, compared to 64 in all of 2024 and 95 in 2023. Burke assured the committee that her project closely monitors all substance overdoses and is prepared to adapt its approach if the positive trend reverses. “If there came a point in time where we were not seeing that impact, we would adapt our strategy and we would implement other project programs across the county,” Burke said.

However, the encouraging news on overdoses was tempered by a grim update from Coroner Laurie Summers, who raised the alarm about a spike in suicides.

“Our suicides are going way up,” Summers told the committee. She clarified that the increase was not just in total numbers but in frequency. “It’s condensing into a shorter amount of time. We will probably be over our numbers from last year on suicides.”

Summers described the trend as affecting a wide range of residents, with “no rhyme or reason” to the demographics. “They’re from young to very senior that are taking their lives and it’s happening on a weekly basis,” she said.

When asked by committee members if the suicides were related to drug overdoses, Summers explained that her office classifies a death as a suicide only when there is clear intent, such as a note. Overdoses without such evidence are typically ruled accidental. She confirmed the suicides she referenced were distinct from the accidental overdose statistics.

The coroner also noted a shift in the types of substances involved in fatal overdoses. While deaths from fentanyl and heroin are declining, another drug is becoming more prevalent. “What we are seeing is cocaine deaths,” Summers said. She also confirmed that nitazenes, a powerful class of synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl that have appeared in other regions, have not yet been detected in Will County.

The contrasting trends highlight the complex and evolving nature of public health challenges in the county. While celebrating the life-saving impact of its opioid response programs, officials now face a growing mental health crisis manifesting in a higher suicide rate. The committee took the reports under advisement as it continues to monitor the county’s public health initiatives.