RACINE – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued a public health advisory Wednesday regarding the increasing presence of fentanyl in overdose deaths in Wisconsin. Racine County is not immune from the national crisis as illicit drugs laced with fentanyl remain an urgent problem in local communities.

“The opioid epidemic continues to have a significant impact on Racine County residents," said Jeffrey Langlieb, Public Health Officer with the Racine County Public Health Division. "This public health advisory from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is important in raising public awareness of effective harm reduction and prevention strategies to combat this important and deadly public health issue."

According to the Public Health Advisory issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, "Fentanyl is being found in all types of drugs including stimulants (cocaine and methamphetamine) and opioids." Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be 80-100 times stronger than morphine, and even a tiny amount can be deadly. The DHS press release is available here in its entirety.

Racine County received an opioid spike alert in July due to an increase in suspected opioid overdoses in the community. A trend has emerged in recent years indicating the deadly impact of fentanyl. In 2021, fentanyl was reported as the cause of death in 94 percent of Racine County overdose cases, and between 2019 and 2021, the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Racine County increased by 183 percent or approximately 1.8 times.

"Racine County continues to be proactive in the battle against fentanyl," said County Executive Jonathan Delagrave. "Same-day, next-day treatment options are available at our treatment clinic, we are offering Narcan and the training associated with administering it, we have installed life-saving NaloxBox units in County buildings and distributed them to interested community locations, and we are offering free fentanyl testing strips. The need for awareness is more important than ever as we see fentanyl appearing in illegal street drugs. We need to remain vigilant in order to win this war."

Narcan, generically referred to as naloxone, is an FDA-approved medication for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency. As part of a comprehensive effort to assist those in need, Racine County Behavioral Health offers free Narcan (naloxone), and training on administering the life-saving medication for opioid overdose, to county residents. It is administered to individuals showing signs of breathing problems, severe sleepiness or unresponsiveness. Narcan is needle-free and ready-to-use. An opioid overdose can happen even when taking prescription opioids as directed, especially at higher doses and when taken with other sedative substances.

For more information about Narcan and other substance use treatment options within Racine County, please call (262) 638-6375.

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