Grundy Reporter

Sue Rezin, a state senator for Illinois' 38th District, has expressed concerns over the terminology used on death certificates for individuals who have died due to fentanyl. She said that families are currently forced to see "overdose" on these documents, but she believes they should be labeled as "poisonings." Rezin made this statement on Facebook on February 26.

"Senate Bill 1283 calls fentanyl deaths what they really are, poisonings," said Rezin, according to Facebook. "Right now, families who've lost loved ones to fentanyl are forced to see “overdose” on their death certificates, even when their loved one had no idea they were taking it. Over 200 Americans die from fentanyl poisoning every single day. That's the equivalent of a plane crash every day."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 74,702 overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, in 2023. In a video shared in her Facebook post, Senator Rezin discussed the stigma associated with fentanyl-related deaths. She argued that because these deaths are classified as overdoses, they often do not receive adequate attention. Rezin emphasized that such deaths should be referred to as poisonings and highlighted that drug cartels smuggle fentanyl into the U.S., disguising it in common pills and products. This practice results in people being unknowingly poisoned. Senate Bill 1283 aims to assist family members of those who die from fentanyl poisonings by reducing stigma through explicit attribution of these deaths to fentanyl poisoning.

Screenshot of State Senator Sue Rezin's Feb. 26 Facebook post. | Senator Sue Rezin's Facebook page

Senate Bill 1283 proposes amending the Coroner Division of the Counties Code to classify fentanyl-related deaths as poisonings rather than overdoses. It mandates coroners and medical examiners report these deaths as fentanyl poisonings, with the Department of Public Health including them in its monthly overdose death report. The bill was filed by Rezin on January 28 and has been referred to the Senate Assignments Committee.

The Illinois Department of Public Health’s opioid data dashboard indicates that 83% of the 3,261 overdose deaths in 2022 involved opioids. Since 2013, synthetic opioid overdose deaths have surged by 3,341%, while heroin overdose deaths have decreased by 9.9%. However, this data does not specifically identify fentanyl-related fatalities. In 2021, Illinois ranked 29th nationally for drug overdose fatality rates.

Rezin was appointed to the State Senate in December 2010 and has continuously served Illinois' 38th Senate District. In 2021, she was selected as Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus. In collaboration with local employers in 2015, she helped establish an Operations Engineering and Technician technical program at Joliet Junior College. Rezin holds a degree in International Business and Political Science from Augustana College and co-owns her family’s real estate company.