CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - The Champaign County Coroner released their annual report from 2023, and deaths involving illicit drugs have decreased since 2022.
Champaign County Coroner Stephen Thuney explains that fentanyl is the biggest issue.
"Part of that report talks about overdose deaths, and part of the overdose problem obviously is fentanyl, it's the biggest part of the overdose problem. 77% of our deaths due to overdose is because of fentanyl." said Thuney.
Organizations like Merci's Refuge have been serving the Champaign community by helping women fighting addiction.
"There's always hope for their life, and even if they've had a setback in the recovery, it doesn't mean that the work that they've already done was of no use. They just need to get back up and reach out to their sponsors and reach out to people who are supportive." said Nate Himes, Director of Counseling Ministries.
Thuney also says that young people are affected by purchasing drugs that they think are Xanax or oxycodone but are really fentanyl.
"Too many kids are experimenting with drugs. They get drugs off the internet or from a friend, and we're seeing a lot of counterfeit pills; Xanax, oxycodone, Percocet. I've personally handled two deaths in Champaign County involving counterfeit Percocet pills that were actually fentanyl." said Thuney.
For more information on Merci's Refuge, click here.
This article has been corrected to reflect that drug overdose deaths have actually decreased since 2022.
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