Fentanyl Declared A Health Crisis: Waukesha Launches New Initiatives

WAUKESHA, WI — Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid more powerful than morphine that has fueled overdose deaths across the nation, is a health crisis right here in Waukesha County.

Paul Farrow, Waukesha's county executive, announced the news on Monday alongside new initiatives aimed at saving lives and preventing deaths from the drug. The county said it will use opioid settlement money to support Narcan training, implement initiatives to track overdose fatalities, launch a public information campaign, and create new objectives to track the county's efforts against fentanyl.

The plans to confront fentanyl come after some stark county data for 2020-2021. In that time, drug-related deaths have become the leading non-natural cause of death for adults aged 18-45 in Waukesha County, authorites said. Ninety-five people died from drug-related deaths in 2020, and at least 92 died from drug-related deaths in 2021 in Waukesha Co.

The new programs against overdoses come as the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office metro drug unit is set to become a Drug Enforcement Agency task force by the end of the year. Authorites said the change will allow for more investigative reach and resources.

“This deadly drug is appearing in every community across the United States, including here at home," Farrow said in a news release. "Now, we are doubling down on our work to save lives.”

The drug can pop up in many ways. Authorites warned that if you are getting pills from anywhere other than the pharmacy, they could be counterfeit. Some pills that resemble prescription drugs may contain fentanyl.

Waukesha County already maintains a Naloxone program. Since 2017, the program has saved 305 lives. The program makes use of the opioid-reversing drug which can bring someone back from an overdose. The drug is widely available and authorites have recommended people at risk of opioid overdoses to carry it. The county said it has distributed over 7,000 Naloxone kits so far for free.