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Cook County, home to Chicago, saw a 37% drop in overdose deaths since the 2023 national peak—the largest decline among counties with the 10 biggest U.S. cities, an exclusive Guardian analysis finds. Chicago has pursued a multifactorial response: expanded CDC‑backed surveillance; free test strips and naloxone in public libraries, paired with staff education; and new mass spectrometers to track volatile adulterants such as medetomidine and potent nitazenes. Medical director Jenny Hua stresses shared credit and constant, hyper‑local monitoring of ambulance data, saying timely drug‑supply intelligence also helps hospitals respond faster.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.