Chicago and Cook County are on pace to see a drastic decline in opioid-related fatalities in 2024, keeping with a nationwide downturn in fatal drug overdoses since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health and law enforcement officials point to a variety of factors that could be responsible.

Going forward, officials said it's important to listen to those with "lived and living experiences with drugs."

Overdose deaths were down overall, but the citywide health analysis signaled a demographic shift in those who are dying.