Wisconsin Officials Launch Updated Campaign Regarding Opioid Misuse

Friday, February 4th, 2022 -- 9:04 AM

(WMTV) Wisconsin officials launched an updated campaign Wednesday aimed at changing the conversation around opioid misuse in the state.

Governor Tony Evers was joined by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Department of Justice to announce new additions to the Dose of Reality initiative.

The program gives tools to Wisconsinites in order to prevent or reduce the use of opioids through conversations about the danger of the drugs, as well as how to save lives.

The initiative’s web page educates residents on safe storage and disposal of medications, offers strategies for those who are at risk of developing an overuse of opioids and explains how to find treatment services, among other resources.

“We know that many Wisconsinites struggle with opioid use, and that’s a problem that tragically has only gotten worse over the last few years,” Gov. Evers said.

“Opioids have ravaged families and communities across our state, and this initiative is just one of the ways that my administration is working to tackle this issue head-on to help folks get on the road to recovery.”

The initiative originally launched in 2015 with the focus of preventing prescription painkiller misuse. The new campaign has updated to include education on all opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, which officials note is a drug on the rise in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin State Crime Lab had 51 fentanyl cases in 2015. That number rose to 546 cases in 2020, according to DHS.

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