In 2022, there were 3,261 opioid overdose deaths in Illinois – an 8.2 percent increase from 2021. Fentanyl is increasingly responsible for the growing number of accidental overdoses, with more than 67 percent of drug overdoses involving fentanyl. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid manufactured pharmaceutically to treat severe pain.
In its non-pharmaceutical form, fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 80-100 times more potent than morphine. Some street drugs can contain lethal amounts of fentanyl. Fentanyl charges are prosecuted zealously across the state of Illinois. This is largely due to increasing attention regarding potency and potential for overdose. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, placing it in the same category as methamphetamine and cocaine.