Overdose Deaths Continue To Rise In McHenry Co.

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Department of Health is informing McHenry County residents of a continued increase in suspected overdose deaths. The current number of suspected overdose deaths to date in 2024 is about twice as high as the median number from 2020 to 2023 during the same timeframe, health officials said Tuesday.

There has also been an increase in emergency calls where naloxone was used to treat an opioid overdose, according to the news release.

While these deaths are currently suspected and not confirmed as opioid-related, the majority of McHenry County's overdose fatalities involve opioids, often with fentanyl, which is a potent synthetic opioid, as reported by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition, according to health officials.

Fentanyl, a highly lethal substance, is still being discovered in different illicit drugs across the county. This includes counterfeit pills that are sold as 'legitimate prescription medications' but are obtained unlawfully, according to the news release.

The MCDH and its partners want residents to remain safe and ensure they have the supplies they need. Narcan nasal spray can be used to reverse an overdose and fentanyl test strips can be used to detect fentanyl in all types of drugs to help prevent overdoses, according to health officials.

Fentanyl test strips and Narcan are available for free at the following locations in McHenry County:

• McHenry County Department of Health
  
  • Supplies are available for walk-ins from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. For more information, call (815) 334-4500.
    • Woodstock: 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Building A
    • Crystal Lake: 100 N. Virginia Street
• Supplies are also available for free at MCDH Narcan vending machines throughout McHenry County:
  • The Other Side Café and Sober Bar , 135 Beardsley Street, Crystal Lake
  • Cafeteria at McHenry County College, 8900 Northwest Highway #14, Crystal Lake
  • Community Health Partnership, 62 N. Ayer Street, Harvard
  • Youth and Family Center of McHenry County, 1011 N. Green Street, McHenry

Live4Lali’s McHenry County Outreach Program includes free community (in-person and virtual) naloxone trainings, confidential harm reduction supply delivery, and SMART Recovery® meetings. For more information, visit live4lali.org/mchenrycounty.

Supplies for local delivery are available by visiting bit.ly/l4lsupplies or by calling or texting (224) 297-4393.

• Supplies are also available at various events across McHenry County on a regular basis:
  • Community Resource Days at Willow Creek Church in Crystal Lake: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday
  • Harvard Food Pantry: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on the third and fourth Tuesdays of every month
  • Hebron Food Pantry: from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of every month
  • Marengo Food Pantry : from 4 to 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of every month
  • Warp Corps in Woodstock: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday

Warp Corps

• Supplies are available daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 114 N. Benton Street in Woodstock. For more information, call (815) 985-6256.
• Supplies are also available at various events across McHenry County on a weekly basis:
  • Woodstock Public Library: from 12 to 3 p.m. on every Monday
  • Community Resource Days at Willow Creek Church in Crystal Lake: from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday

The Break Crystal Lake Teen Center

• Please call 815-575-9358 to inquire about available supplies.