From heroin addiction to painkiller dependency, deaths from illegal drug use is an issue in McHenry County.

As investigators probe whether drugs were involved in the recent death of a 17-year-old Crystal Lake South High School student, the tragedy has put the spotlight on a growing problem that has local authorities and other officials rethinking policies and strategies.

There were 122 drug overdose deaths in the county from 2009 to 2012, according to the McHenry County Coroner’s Office. Of those, 52 involved heroin, a drug that can cause a surge of euphoria and clouded thinking followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.