Ponni Arunkumar

Suburban Cook County Launches Initiative to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths

Dec 9, 2020 | Kristen Thometz

Fentanyl pills (Credit: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration)

With suburban Cook County on track to exceed 2,000 opioid overdose deaths this year, officials announce a program to address the “silent epidemic” that will connect people with treatment.

Preckwinkle: 2020 on Pace to be Worst Year for Suicides in Black Community in a Decade

Aug 5, 2020 | Kristen Thometz

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle talks about the rise in deaths by suicide in the Black community at a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (Toni Preckwinkle / Facebook)

More African Americans in Cook County have died by suicide this year than during all of 2019, with a notable increase among young people, according to county officials. “This is horrifying,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said.

Preckwinkle, Cook County Officials Sound the Alarm on Rising Opioid Overdose Deaths

Jul 16, 2020 | Kristen Thometz

(Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker / Flickr)

COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Black and Brown communities, but the opioid crisis is also taking a “devastating toll” on Chicago-area residents this year, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said.

Cook County Medical Examiner Prepares for a Surge in COVID-19 Deaths

Apr 22, 2020 | Alexandra Silets

About 70% of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths are in Cook County. As a result of the pandemic, the medical examiner’s office opened an off-site morgue to deal with a surge in deaths.