How Chicago succeeded in reducing drug overdose deaths

The article discusses how the city of Chicago has succeeded in reducing drug overdose deaths by 37% since the national peak of the crisis in 2023. The city has adopted a "multifactorial approach to a multifactorial problem," according to Jenny Hua, the medical director for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Chicago has one of the most robust drug supply surveillance and overdose prevention response systems in the nation, which has contributed to the significant reduction in overdose deaths. The article also notes that it's easier to have a coordinated response in a big city, where people and resources are concentrated, and that changes to the drug supply are affecting regions differently. The article was produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism's 2025 Impact Fund for Reporting on Health Equity and Health Systems, highlighting the importance of addressing this critical public health issue.