STOP DYING SO MUCH! –
Dec. 1, 2025 – Department Epidemiologist Megan Hanley said the report used 2023 Illinois Department of Public Health data, which showed a concerning trend.
Hanley said that although substance abuse rates and related deaths have remained steady over the past few years, they are becoming more prominent, with three out of four deaths in the age group tied to substance use. … Hanley said more drugs are being identified as polysubstances, meaning they are mixed with other drugs like fentanyl or xylazine, which increases the likelihood of overdose or death.
“Specifically, 70% of the deaths in that age bracket [involved] polysubstances,” she said. “Many of these people just haven’t developed good coping skills as teenagers,” he said.
Carle Health Addiction Recovery Center Medical Director Dr. Robert Lizer said he also sees more people in this age group struggling with substance abuse disorders, including more overdoses and deaths. He said many people also struggle with mental illness.
Lizer said seeking treatment for those mental health diagnoses is key to treating substance abuse. At the health department, Hanley said they have increased substance abuse outreach over the last few years and ramped up Naloxone, often called Narcan, education since 2022. She believes education is key to preventing deaths related to substances, and that she has seen people stigmatizing the use of Naloxone less often.
