>>> PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN OF POWER.

>>> CHICAGO'S OPIOID EPIDEMIC HAS RISEN TO A DEADLY NEW PEAK.

THE COOK COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE JUST REPORTED A RECORD 2000 COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS DIED OF OPIOID -RELATED OVERDOSES LAST YEAR.

THAT NUMBER HAS CONSISTENTLY GONE UP EVERY YEAR.

WE STILL HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS BEHIND A TROUBLING TREND AND FIND THAT THE DRUGS ARE MORE DIVERSE, MORE AVAILABLE AND MORE LETHAL THAT NEVER.

>> PHYSICALLY, ACTIVELY, SPIRITUALLY.

MIKE THOMAS SAYS HE USES FENTANYL TO DEAL WITH GRIEF.

>> FENTANYL BLANKETS YOUR EMOTIONS.

IT COMFORTS THEM.

BUT MASKS THEM.

>> Reporter: HE IS WEEKS INTO HIS SECOND STINT OF REHAB, CURRENTLY IN THERAPY AND LIVING AT THE HAYMARKET WINTER, ONE OF THE LARGEST DRUG ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.

ALECIA JACKSON SAYS SHE HAS BEEN ADDICTED TO HEROIN FOR 25 YEARS AND HOMELESS MUCH OF THAT TIME.

>> I WAS PANHANDLING, SELLING DRUGS, PROSTITUTING.

YOU DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO!

WITH THE DRUGS AS CALM, YOU GO.

>> Reporter: JAMES STEWART SAYS HE WAS AT THE IT FOR 35 YEARS AND CAME TO HAYMARKET BY WAY OF COOK COUNTY JAIL.

ALL OF THEM SAY THEY KNOW IT IS EITHER TREAT OR ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH.

>> WE TREAT THE DISORDER, WE TREAT THE MENTAL ILLNESS, WE TREAT THE PRIMARY CARE CONDITION.

OVER THE LAST 46 YEARS, WE REALIZE IF YOU DON'T TREAT THOSE CONDITIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY THAT IT WILL CAUSE A RELAPSE IN THE OTHER CONDITIONS.

>> Reporter: HAYMARKET PRESIDENT AND HE GOES AS THE CENTER TREATS 12,000 PATIENTS PER YEAR, MOSTLY IN LOW INCOME AND HOMELESS POPULATION AS IS THE NATURE OF ADDICTION HASN'T CHANGED BUT THE DRUGS HAVE.

>> WHAT WE ARE NASI IS THAT OFTEN, THE HEROIN IS ADULTERATED WITH FENTANYL AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE SEEN IN HOUR 47 YEAR THREE.

>> Reporter: FENTANYL IS A POWERFUL SYNTHETIC OPIOID OFTEN USED FOR CANCER PATIENTS.

IT IS GRADUALLY TAKEN OFF OF THE DRUG MARKET.

THERE ARE 100 AND THREE OVERDOSE DEATHS ATTRIBUTED WILL DEFEND TO THE AND 20 FEET TEEN.

IN 2020, THAT NUMBER SHOT UP TO 1500 AND 83 AND LAST YEAR CITY RECORD OF 1825 DEATHS ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM THE COOK COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE ACCOUNTING MORE THAN 90% OF ALL OPIOID -RELATED DEATHS IN COOK COUNTY .

>> LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, WE ARE SEEING THE COMPLETE TURNOVER OF OPIOIDS AS WELL AS OTHER DRUGS FROM ORGANIC SYNTHETIC.

>> Reporter: NICK RHODY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA , A FEDERAL TASK FORCE THAT IS IS LAW-ENFORCEMENT IN FIGHTING DRUG TRAFFIC AND SAYS CARTELS HAVE STOPPED GROWING DRUGS AND HAVE STARTED THEM IN LABS, INSTEAD , BEFORE DISTRIBUTING TO GET MEMBERS AND DEALERS ON THE STREETS .

>> IT IS CHEAPER FOR THEM, MORE EFFICIENT AS FAR AS GROWING CYCLES IN THE PROPHET MARGINS ARE TENFOLD.

>> Reporter: HE SAYS SYNTHETICS ARE IN MORE THAN 99% OF ALL ILLICIT OPIOIDS ON THE MARKET AND IT IS NOT JUST FENTANYL.

THERE ARE VARIATIONS THAT HE IS HAS OVER 100 TIMES MORE POTENT AND AN ANIMAL TRANQUILIZER CALLED ON THE SCENE HAS RECENTLY EMERGED AS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST DRUGS.

THEY USED TO BE CUT IN TO HEROIN BUT NOW THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.

>> IT IS VERY UNLIKELY YOU WILL BUY A REAL OXYCODONE.

MOST OF THEM AT THIS POINT THAT YOU ARE BUYING ON THE STREET ARE GOING TO END UP BEING FENTANYL.

>> ECSTASY, COCAINE , LITERALLY , I DON'T THERE ARE ANY DRUGS THAT ARE PEERED DRUG.

THEY ARE ALL LACED WITH FENTANYL.

>> Reporter: THAT MAKES TREATMENT MORE DIFFICULT FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS .

>> IT IS HARD TO PREDICT HOW MUCH IS THE WHAT AND HOW MUCH IS THE OTHER THINGS.

THE OPIOID, WE CAN TREAT WITH A REVERSING AGENT REALLY WELL BUT THE MORE OF THE OTHER STUFF, THE LESS EFFECTIVE IT IS.

>> Reporter: THE MAJORITY OF THE ILLICIT DRUG TRADE STILL HAPPENS ON THE WEST SIDE.

ON A RECENTLY DAY, WE RAN INTO THE OPIOID TASK FORCE PENDING WILL ALSO OR NOT CAN WHICH CAN REVERSE IT OPIOID OVERDOSE.

>> WE KNOW THAT ISOLATION BREEDS ADDICTION SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS EDUCATE THE PEOPLE ON HOW TO USE NARCAN AND I'M GOING TO SAY PREACH BUT PREACHED TO THEM THE IMPORT OF NOT USING LONG WITH ALWAYS HAVING SOMEONE WITH THEM IN THE EVENT THEY GO OUT AND THAT PERSON WITH THEM COULD POSSIBLY THINK THERE MIGHT.

>> Reporter: HE BELIEVES NATIONAL DRUG POLICY WILL HAVE TO CHANGE BEFORE THERE IS ANY HOPE OF HER TELLING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.

>> THERE ARE MORE DOORS TO TREATMENT CENTERS -- PRISON AND TREATMENT INTEREST IN THIS COUNTRY AND AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THAT, HE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A DOES NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.

>> Reporter: ALECIA SAYS SHE WAS IN AND OUT OF S OR BE DIVERTED TO TREAT.

SHE SAYS SHE HAS BEEN CLEAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR.

>> I AM JUST FINDING OUT WHO I AM AS A PERSON!

I AM LEARNING TO LOVE MYSELF BY BEING HERE AND SURROUNDED CARE .

>> Reporter: 78% OF OVER DOSED DEATHS WERE MEN LAST YEAR AND THE NUMBER ONE AGE GROUP WAS PEOPLE IN THERE FOR THE SPIRIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SAY THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE LIKELY