Wisconsin opioid deaths hit another record high in 2021

Wisconsin’s opioid overdose deaths rose once more final yr, eclipsing a earlier report from 2020. 

There have been 1,427 opioid-related deaths within the state in 2021, officers with the Wisconsin Division of Well being Providers confirmed, a 16 % improve over 2020 and a 70 % improve over the variety of deaths in 2018.

The state’s spike in opioid deaths mirrors nationwide developments. Wisconsin’s Director of Opioid Initiatives Paul Krupski believes social isolation, nervousness and stress from the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the disaster.

“Many people struggled with wholesome coping expertise to take care of these issues that many had by no means needed to take care of earlier than,” Krupski stated Friday. “And so sadly, these lack of wholesome coping expertise, in lots of instances, result in people turning to substance use to manage.”

In 2020, Wisconsin recorded 1,227 opioid-related deaths, which was 311 extra deaths than in 2019. 

Krupski blames the rising prevalence of fentanyl, a robust man-made opioid that is typically subscribed as a painkiller, however can be present in unlawful medicine like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and counterfeit drugs.

The overwhelming majority — or practically 1,300 — of Wisconsin’s opioid related-deaths in 2021 concerned artificial opioids, and generally that was fentanyl, Krupski stated.

“Fentanyl is discovered all through all the drug provide,” he stated. “It is actually in contrast to something that we have ever, ever seen earlier than.”

Earlier this yr, Wisconsin’s Gov. Tony Evers signed laws that decriminalized fentanyl take a look at strips, which had beforehand been categorized as drug paraphernalia. Wisconsin’s well being division has distributed about 150,000 of the strips to suppliers throughout the state, Krupski stated. 

To be linked with sources for coping with dependancy, name 2-1-1 or go to 211wisconsin.communityos.org.