Waukesha County declares Fentanyl a Community Health Crisis on August 1, 2022

Read Declaration HERE

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine, is fueling overdose deaths across the US and Wisconsin.

Because of the declaration, the county will: 

• Distribute opioid settlement money, in partnership with the County Board, to support Narcan training, the District Attorney’s pre-trial diversion programming, and other related purposes.
• Implement the Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) initiatives, in partnership with public and private entities and surrounding counties to share data and best practices.
• Launch a local public information initiative utilizing the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s ‘One Pill Can Kill' initiative. Current Campaign partners: SOFA, Inc; Love, Logan Foundation; Waukesha County Sheriff's Office; Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office; and the Waukesha County Heroin Task Force.
• Create a set of measurable objectives to track the county’s efforts in the fight against fentanyl that will be evaluated on a quarterly basis.  

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Issues Public Health Advisory to Warn of the Risks of Death from Drugs Laced with Fentanyl (August 17, 2022)
Read more HERE.

Waukesha County began its focus in earnest in 2017
Since May 2017, Waukesha County has been committed to strategies to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in the county:

• Scan the county to identify risk and protective factors for all county residents
• Offer free trainings open to all county residents on the administration of naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose
• Distribute free kits containing naloxone to county residents who express interest
• Provide opiate overdose prevention education sessions in the county
• Reach out to opioid users who have experienced an overdose and provide support through the county crisis system

This work to prevent prescription drug/opioid overdose related deaths is funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services with funds provided by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The current state of misuse and abuse of opiods is a public health crisis in Wisconsin. Read a "Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin" from the WI Dept of Health Services HERE.

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