Author: Cheryl Wittke

Safe Communities Reveals Fentanyl-Reduction Plan Related to Dane County Harm Reduction and Prevention Act

June 6, 2023
Cheryl Wittke – Executive Director Safe Communities Madison-Dane County
Contact: info@safercommunity.net

Easy, free access to lifesaving doses of naloxone at over 100 community locations

Today Dane County Executive Parisi shared an update on efforts funded by the Harm Reduction and Prevention Act.

The Harm Reduction and Prevention Act built upon Dane County and Safe Community partnerships and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the community to distribute fentanyl testing strips, along with Narcan kits, and increase awareness about this deadly epidemic.

Pastor and First Lady Wade hosted the event at Second Baptist Church and spoke to the powerful work of the African American Opioid Coalition.

Thanks to all community partners for hard work underway:

Fifteen boxes have been installed, and 100 additional Overdose Aid Kits (OAK) are ready to go. They are stocked with doses of nasal naloxone, fentanyl test strips, safe use tips, and recovery resources. Siting OAK boxes at community locations with elevated overdose rates will be first priority. Organizations and businesses can request an OAK box — see Safe Communities’ website for details.
Three vending machines with 24-7 access to naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and recovery resources will be installed at the Dane County Jail, outside Public Health Madison and Dane County’s Syringe Services office on E. Washington Avenue, and at a downtown location to be determined in August 2023.

Dane County Emergency Management is coordinating a community-wide Naloxone Leave Behind program with local EMS agencies, and expanding prevention activities thanks to a new position funded through the Harm Reduction Act.

All Dane County hospital emergency rooms offer recovery coaches to patients undergoing treatment for overdose. But a new pilot at UnityPoint Health-Meriter will embed Safe Communities’ Recovery Coaches on-site during peak hours to foster real-time collaboration between patients, peers, family members and clinical staff to reduce drug harm and improve patient outcomes. Thanks to UnityPoint-Meriter CEO James Arnett for joining us today to show his support, and thank you, James for your organization’s leadership on this important work.

The Harm Reduction Act invested in culturally competent outreach and education to groups at the highest risk of fentanyl drug poisoning/overdose. With us today community members who are putting these funds to work:

African American Opioid Coalition (AAOC) is working to address an alarming increase in overdose deaths among Black community members in Dane County.
Staff from OutReach LGBTQ Community Center are out at clubs and community events distributing naloxone, test strips, safe use, and recovery resources.
LaMovida Radio is kicking off a Spanish-language public education campaign.

A public education campaign will approach the problem from all angles by crafting messages targeted for:

recreational users at risk of inadvertently ingesting fentanyl;
people who use regularly – don’t use alone; carry naloxone;
friends, family, public at large – be prepared to recognize and respond to an overdose.

Look for billboards, bus wraps, social media and radio ads to launch in August 2023.

Finally, we’re excited to announce efforts to launch school-based primary prevention and harm reduction education. At this time, Madison Metropolitan School District plans to pilot evidence-based curricula Safety First and Sources of Strength, and three additional school districts are making plans to introduce these exciting programs into their classroom.

School-based Programs

Sources of Strength Program

The target population for Sources of Strength Secondary are Middle and High School students in Dane County.

Sources of Strength is a highly effective program that harnesses young people as immensely powerful change agents within their school communities. Adult advisors coordinate ongoing meetings and evidence-based prevention strategies that focus on Hope, Help, Strength rather than shocking, traumatic, or sad messaging approaches.

Safety First Program: Real Drug Education for Teens

Safety First is meant for High School students. This curriculum is particularly relevant for students already using, for students at-risk for using, and/or for students living in communities in which there are high levels of drug use. The curriculum is designed to be used in classrooms or group settings.

Drug education should be:

Scientifically accurate, providing accurate information about all drugs.
Interactive
Compassionate, taking into account that some youth will have used and/or sold drugs – or have close friends and family members who have.

Educating and empowering teenagers to make safe and healthy choices must be our highest priority. For more information about the Safety First Program, click here.

Area school districts are planning to launch Sources of Strength and Safety First in classrooms this Fall. Interested in bringing these exciting programs to your school community? Contact Project Manager Leah at lrolando@safercommunity.net

Dane County Approves $750,000 Emergency Initiative to Address Opiate & Fentanyl Epidemics

November 18, 2022
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

The Harm Reduction and Prevention Act, a roughly $750,000 initiative to address opiate and fentanyl related emergencies, will soon infuse much needed supports into the Dane County community, County Executive Parisi announced today. A resolution to fund the legislative package, which includes school prevention and harm reduction curriculum, was approved at last night’s Dane County Board meeting.

“In Dane County, more residents are dying of drug poisoning than ever before. Just one pill laced with fentanyl or another synthetic opiate can take the life of a friend or loved one,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Our community must act. The Harm Reduction and Prevention Act builds upon our partnerships and invests hundreds of thousands of dollars into the community to distribute fentanyl testing strips, along with Narcan kits, and increase awareness about these deadly epidemics.”

Deaths involving opiates and fentanyl have steadily increased in Dane County since 2016. In 2021, 149 people in Dane County passed away due to opiate related overdoses—reflecting 86% of all overdose deaths in the county. Opiate related deaths have increased more than 30% in the past five years. Meanwhile, overdose deaths involving fentanyl are up close to 70% in that same timeframe. Fentanyl was determined to be a contributing factor in over three quarters of the county’s overdose deaths in 2021.

In recognition of the continued scourge of opiates and fentanyl in the Dane County community and the harm they continue to cause families, this initiative will:

In partnership with Safe Communities and Dane County school districts, pilot developmentally appropriate prevention and harm reduction curriculum through Life Skills and Safety First programing to better serve elementary though high school students. Using an evidence-based approach, Safe Communities will partner with local schools on debuting the new education courses, which focus on building resiliency, identifying risk, being safe, etc. and include interactive modules for older students.
Increase awareness and community education about the dangers of fentanyl and opiates.
Partner with community organizations to provide widespread distribution of Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
Create a dedicated prevention specialist position within the Dane County Department of Emergency Management to oversee the development of a Narcan “leave behind” program where EMS agencies can leave Narcan rescue kits at the scenes of overdoses.
In partnership with Safe Communities, embed Dane County Recovery Coaches within local hospitals and potentially the Dane County 911 Center to reduce the time between when an overdose occurs and when an individual first makes contact with a professional who can help them begin the path of addiction treatment/recovery.
Create a prevention coordinator at the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center to serve as a direct liaison to a number of communities, providing more awareness and prevention services to populations disproportionately impacted by overdoses/fentanyl poisoning.

This initiative totals around $750,000 and is in addition to the approximately $1.6 million Dane County currently allocates in opiate settlement funding for opiate treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts.

As part of the Harm Reduction and Prevention Act, Dane County will invest $159,900 in media and community outreach efforts. The following groups will receive funding to provide med lock boxes, Narcan, and/or fentanyl test strips: African American Opioid Coalition ($100,000), Pride in Prevention Coalition ($50,000), Recovery Coalition of Dane County ($10,000), Dane County Senior Focal Points ($15,000), and various housing providers ($10,000). $120,000 will also be allocated for school life skills/harm reduction curriculum.

A second portion of the Dane County Harm Reduction and Prevention Act—totaling $283,500—will be funded in the County Executive’s 2023 budget. Of that total, $115,000 will go to create a Prevention Coordinator position at the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center. Approximately $110,000 will establish a prevention specialist position within the Dane County Department of Emergency Management. This individual will work with local EMS agencies on opiate and fentanyl response initiatives in the coming years. $10,000 will go to the Narcan “leave behind” program, while an additional $40,000 will go to school life skills/harm reduction curriculum next year.

Two-thirds of Dane County Fatal Crashes Involve No Seatbelts or Helmets

For Immediate Release

For more information, contact: Cheryl Wittke, (608) 256-6713 Executive Director, Safe Communities of Madison – Dane County

Two-thirds of Dane County Fatal Crashes Involve No Seatbelts or Helmets

Two-thirds of Dane County motor vehicle crashes involving fatalities from July to September this year resulted in deaths of persons not wearing seat belts or motorcycle or bicycle helmets. This alarming trend triggered an urgent reminder from members of the Dane County Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) for area residents to remember to use life-saving measures.

The nine crashes during the third quarter of 2022 resulted in 11 deaths, according to a recent report by the TSC, a coalition of 48 county public and private organizations meeting quarterly to monitor and improve traffic safety.
“Most of the deaths involving lack of seat belts or helmets may have been preventable with the use of these safety devices,” said Sgt. Matt Meyer, Dane County Sheriff’s Office and TSC co-chair, who noted the group quarterly monitors all fatal crashes in the county, including use of seat belts and helmets. “It is alarming that seatbelt usage in the state dropped to 88.2% last year after reaching a high of 90% in 2019.”

The most recent TSC report recorded three crashes where a driver or passenger died not wearing a seat belt, required by Wisconsin law. Three other crashes involved motorcyclists, bicyclists or moped riders not wearing helmets.

Five of the nine fatal crashes occurred outside Madison: in the city of Sun Prairie and towns of Bristol, Burke, Medina and Windsor.

TSC member Sgt. Adam Zoch, Wisconsin State Patrol, said law enforcement agencies notice drivers of older vehicles are less likely to buckle up since they don’t get the audio reminder beeps. Also less likely to buckle up are those traveling short distances, he said. “Those just going down the street to the grocery store or going at lower speeds sometimes don’t bother. But that doesn’t take into account behavior of other drivers who may be speeding, impaired by alcohol or drugs, or driving distracted.”

One local physician has seen this happen all too often. “I wish I could help people understand that it’s usually the routine day-to-day driving when fatal crashes happen,” said Hee Soo Jung, MD, Director of Surgical Critical Care for UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Most are at speeds under 40 and within 24 miles from their home. It’s never when we expect it.”

That’s one of the reasons seventeen TSC-member law enforcement agencies use grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for officer overtime to conduct high-visibility traffic enforcement monitoring seat belt use, along with speeding and impaired driving. Agencies alert the public ahead of time in hopes of achieving voluntary compliance and encouraging positive driving habits. Local police departments receiving these grants often coordinate their efforts between communities.

“There is a clear relationship between not using seatbelts and the likelihood of dying or being severely injured in a crash,” TSC Co-chair Matt Meyer said. “Persons not wearing seatbelts in Wisconsin were seven times more likely to die and three times more likely to suffer a serious injury in a traffic crash.”

In his role as a trauma surgeon, Dr. Jung has plenty of experience to know that is true. “When I hear an EMS report that someone coming in did not wear a helmet or a seat belt, I prepare myself to take care of injuries that are much worse.” He said unbelted motorists often experience more traumatic injuries from being thrown around or being ejected from the vehicle, and motorcycle riders without helmets are much more likely to have severe brain injury and facial fractures.

TSC Co-chair Meyer noted that in the last three years, two of every three (64%) of persons dying in Dane County motorcycle accidents were not wearing a helmet.

“The hardest cases for me are the ones where people–with so much left in their lives–are taken from us too early because of preventable trauma,” said Dr. Jung. “It’s my job to give patients and their families bad news. I get that. But if I had one wish, it would be that I never have to sit with your family, in that quiet room, to tell them with a broken heart that you didn’t make it.”

Helmet use is also a major factor in deaths of bicyclists involved in crashes. TSC Co-Chair Meyer said of bicyclists dying in Dane County crashes over the past six years, 80% were not wearing helmets.
Adam Brinkman, MD, Pediatric Trauma Director at American Family Children’s Hospital, stressed the importance of not only wearing a helmet but one that fits well. “A properly fitting helmet will absorb force when a moving head strikes a stationary object, such as the ground, a pole, or a car. Helmets are designed to cushion the skull and brain, which, if not protected, can suffer serious injuries. We have taken care of many patients who failed to wear a bike helmet since they were ‘just going around the block’ or ‘to a friend’s house down the road.’ Helmets save heads!” he said.

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The Facts:

• Crashes involving motorists not wearing seatbelts represented 10% of all Dane County crashes and 42% of all deaths in the first nine months of 2022. (Source: WisDOT Crash Database)
• Over the past six years, the majority (59%) of unbelted drivers and passengers involved in crashes involving death or injury were 16 to 35-year-olds. (Source: WisDOT Crash Database)
• In a six-county area including Dane, those with lower-than-average rates of seatbelt use are males (84.5%), young drivers aged 16-24 (82.6%), pickup drivers (82.9%) and local motorists not on highways or interstates (82.5%). (Source: 2020 WisDOT Annual Seatbelt Survey)
• In the last 3 years in Dane County, 273 motorcyclists were killed or injured. Of these, 64% were not wearing helmets. (Source: WisDOT Crash Database)
• Of Dane County bicyclists over the past six years injured in a crash, those aged 5 to 24 were least likely to be wearing a helmet. (Source: WisDOT Crash Database)

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Potential Interviewees: The following may be contacted for comment directly:
1) Crash trends and Traffic Safety Commission: Sgt. Matt Meyer, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, co-chair, Dane County Traffic Safety Commission, meyer.matt@danesherriff.com (608) 284-6876.
2) Traffic Safety Commission role/membership: Cheryl Wittke, Exec. Director, Safe Communities of Madison – Dane County and TSC co-chair. cwittke@safercommunity.net, (608) 256-6713.
3) Law enforcement agency experience with seat belts, helmets, WisDOT traffic grants: Sgt. Adam Zoch, Wisconsin State Patrol, adaml.zoch@dot.wi.gov, (414) 477-0421.
4) Seatbelts and associated crash injuries: Hee Soo Jung, MD, Director Surgical Critical Care, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, jung@surgery.wisc.edu, (608) 262-6246.
5) Bicycle helmets and associated crash injuries: Adam Brinkman, MD, Pediatric Trauma Director, American Family Children’s Hospital, brinkman@surgery.wisc.edu, (608) 262-0466.

County Executive Parisi Unveils Nearly $740,000 Emergency Initiative to Address Opiate & Fentanyl Epidemics

September 08, 2022
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Parisi’s Harm Reduction and Prevention Act is Part of 2023 Budget Proposal, Includes Funding for School Prevention & Harm Reduction Curriculum

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joined community advocates to announce the Harm Reduction and Prevention Act, a nearly $740,000 initiative to address opiate and fentanyl related emergencies, as part of his 2023 budget.

“More Dane County residents than ever before are dying of drug poisoning. Just one pill laced with fentanyl or another synthetic opiate can kill our loved ones. We as a community have a responsibility to act. This nearly $740,000 proposal provides a comprehensive plan to reduce drug poisoning deaths and drug harm in Dane County,” said Executive Joe Parisi. “These investments in my 2023 budget build upon past successes and explore new opportunities to make a potentially lifesaving difference for the individuals and families who call Dane County home.”

In recognition of the continued scourge of opiates and fentanyl in the Dane County community and the harm they continue to cause families, County Executive Parisi has prepared a $739,900 initiative to:

In partnership with Safe Communities and Dane County school districts, pilot developmentally appropriate prevention and harm reduction curriculum through Life Skills and Safety First programing to better serve elementary though high school students. Using an evidence-based approach, Safe Communities will partner with local schools on debuting the new education courses, which focus on building resiliency, identifying risk, being safe, etc. and include interactive modules for older students.
Increase awareness and community education about the dangers of fentanyl and opiates.
Partner with community organizations to provide widespread distribution of Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
Create a dedicated prevention specialist position within the Dane County Department of Emergency Management to oversee the development of a Narcan “leave behind” program where EMS agencies can leave Narcan rescue kits at the scenes of overdoses.
In partnership with Safe Communities, embed Dane County Recovery Coaches within local hospitals and potentially the Dane County 911 Center to reduce the time between when an overdose occurs and when an individual first makes contact with a professional who can help them begin the path of addiction treatment/recovery.
Create a prevention coordinator at the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center to serve as a direct liaison to a number of communities, providing more awareness and prevention services to populations disproportionately impacted by overdoses/fentanyl poisoning.

“According to the CDC, nationally, teen drug overdose deaths rose sharply in 2020, driven by fentanyl-laced pills. In 2021, 77% of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl,” said Dan Olson, Monona Grove School District Superintendent. “As a school community, Dane County superintendents are aware of the deadly threat these substances present to our students and families. Thanks to Dane County Executive Parisi for allocating resources to school districts to address this problem.”

This $739,900 initiative will be in addition to the approximately $1.6 million Dane County currently allocates in opiate settlement funding for opiate treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts.

“This support comes at a critical time, as we work to reverse a deadly trend both in our community at large and in the Black community. While the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, present in everything from counterfeit prescription pills to cocaine, is an equal opportunity killer, it is taking a disproportionate toll on Black families,” said Carola Gaines, Co-Chair of the African American Opioid Coalition. “According to a Public Health Madison & Dane County report, the overdose death rate is three times higher among Dane County’s Black residents than White.”

“I am grateful for the County Executive’s diligence to have been part of the lawsuit against opioid manufacturers,” said Dane County Board Supervisor Rick Rose. “By building out a more vibrant recovery community, we can then focus on treatment and care. Recovery is a journey not a destination. Each day brings something new, so we as a county must remain nimble and vigilant to address those needs through additional funds that will come to our county.”

A second portion of the Dane County Harm Reduction and Prevention Act—totaling just over $275,000—will be funded in the County Executive’s 2023 budget. Of that, $115,000 will go to create a Prevention Coordinator position at the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center. Around $110,000 will establish a prevention specialist position within the Dane County Department of Emergency Management. This individual will work with local EMS agencies on opiate and fentanyl response initiatives in the coming years. $10,000 will go to the Narcan “leave behind” program, while an additional $40,000 will go to school life skills/harm reduction curriculum next year.

“Thanks to Dane County Executive Joe Parisi for his commitment to saving LGBTQ lives,” said Steve Starkey, Executive Director of OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center. “Funds included in the County Executive’s ‘Emergency Harm Reduction and Prevention Act’ will jumpstart a coalition of organizations and businesses that serve Dane County’s LGBTQ community.”

County Executive Parisi’s full 2023 budget will be released October 3, 2022.

Drunken driving crashes spike in Dane County; at least 11 killed in first half of 2022

This article originally appeared on Madison.com and can be found here.
Chris Hubbuch | Wisconsin State Journal

Drunken driving crashes — including at least 11 fatalities — rose sharply during the first half of 2022, according to a new report.

There were 80 automobile crashes between January and June involving alcohol, 41% more than the five-year average, according to the Dane County Traffic Safety Commission, a coalition of public and private organizations working to improve traffic safety.

While the commission is continuing to analyze the data, co-chair Cheryl Wittke said the rise in drunken driving correlates with an increase in drinking since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

“There’s just been an overall spike in alcohol use,” Wittke said.

Of 16 fatal crashes this year, 11 involved drivers whose blood alcohol levels exceeded the legal limit of 0.08%, in some cases by up to three times. Wittke said the actual number of alcohol-related fatalities is likely higher because of the time it takes to get lab results on blood drawn after a crash.

Wittke, who also serves as executive director of Safe Communities of Madison-Dane County, said the commission is working on prevention strategies to be rolled out this fall. “We believe it’s preventable,” she said.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office and 13 police departments have grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety to cover overtime for high-visibility traffic enforcement efforts aimed at curbing dangerous driving.

“We live in a state where heavy drinking has become normalized,” said Brian Dunleavy, whose 20-year-old son, Conor, was killed in 2012 when the car he was riding in was struck by an intoxicated driver going 100 mph on his way from one bar to another.

Lawren Prisk, 52, served seven years in prison for the crash. “I grew up in a household where my parents were big entertainers,” Dunleavy said. “We watched adults, you know, drinking a lot. They were all professional people. We thought that was OK.”

Dunleavy, a retired Madison school teacher who now lives in Milwaukee, said with the availability of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft there’s no excuse for drinking and driving.

“I’m not asking people not to drink,” he said. “You need to have that game plan in place before you set out on the night. Your executive functioning definitely goes south after a few beers.”

Dane County Sees 41% Increase in Car Crashes Related to Alcohol Use

This article originally appeared in the Capital Times and can be found here.
By Allison Garfield

Dane County has seen a 41% increase in the number of car crashes related to alcohol use in 2022 compared to the previous five years, a new Traffic Safety Commission analysis found.

In total, 80 crashes from January to June involved alcohol use, compared to the previous five-year average of 57, including crashes resulting in injury or death.

While there have been 16 fatal crashes in the county this year, of those, 11 involved alcohol use.

Cheryl Wittke is a co-chair on the commission and executive director of Safe Communities of Madison-Dane County, a local nonprofit coalition of over 350 organizations working to increase traffic safety. She said the county’s trend is “disturbing” and “devastating.”

“We continue to see excessive use of alcohol as a factor in most crashes, and it doesn’t have to happen. We really can’t lose sight of the impact that the crashes have, especially on the victims and the families,” Wittke said.

Most of the Dane County fatal crashes occurred outside Madison in Fitchburg, the village of Blue Mounds, and towns of Oregon, Vienna, Dunkirk, Rutland, Dunn and Albion.

While the Traffic Safety Commission is working to determine the cause of the spike, Wittke speculated it has to do with increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic.

Alcohol is ingrained in Wisconsin’s culture; the state has the highest rate of excessive alcohol consumption in the nation, according to data from the United Health Foundation.

That also means challenges from excessive drinking appear particularly acute, as well. From 2000 to 2010, alcohol-induced deaths in the state increased by 26.6%, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum report. Then, from 2010 to 2020, those deaths more than doubled, increasing by 115.4%.

And alcohol sales continued to climb well into the pandemic.

“As a culture, we have been drinking more alcohol during the pandemic. Already, we were consuming more previous to that, but the pandemic really amped things up,” Wittke said. “The speculation is that’s part of what’s driving the increase in in these fatalities and alcohol-related crashes.”

She said it’s time for Wisconsinites, law enforcement and local officials to “take a step back” and examine the dangerous effects of drinking and driving.

Thirteen Dane County police departments, the county Sheriff’s Office — all of which are TSC-members — have grant funding from the state’s Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety to cover police overtime for traffic enforcement efforts aimed at curbing dangerous driving behaviors.

Wittke contended much more needs to be done.

“We can’t enforce our way out of this problem. There just will never be enough police resources,” she said. “That’s what’s really exciting about the Traffic Safety Commission … we’ll be figuring out how to how to implement some strategies to address the problem.”

The upward trend is a continuation of one Dane County saw last year as well, with an unprecedentedly high number of fatal crashes in 2021 caused by both speeding and drug use. As a result, the TSC gave four task forces the job of finding solutions.

She said TSC and all its local partners will have to think creatively to address the trend, but the first step is awareness and education.

“(We’re) putting it back on the radar that this is not acceptable, and it’s definitely going the wrong direction,” Wittke said.

The city’s Vision Zero initiative aims to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries on city streets to prevent avoidable fatal crashes using data-driven strategy. A key policy platform for Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, her office did not respond to questions of how the initiative intends to address the major spike in alcohol-related crashes by publication.

Settlement Funds Will Support Plan Against Opioid Epidemic

This story originally appeared on www.NBC15.com.

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – This year, the Department of Health Services expects to get nearly $31 million for the task to fight Wisconsin’s opioid epidemic.

The funds are the result of a settlement, as part of the National Prescription Opiate Litigation. About $6 million arrived as a first payment in late July, the DHS announced. DHS Secretary-Designee Karen Timberlake said Monday the plan to distribute the funds has been submitted to the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance.

Divided into three phases, the plan would largely tackle immediate needs, increase access to services around the state and invest in long term projects. Among the proposed figures, $3 million would increase the statewide availability of Narcan, the drug used to reverse opioid overdoses.

Set aside is even more money for capital projects, to expand prevention, treatment and recovery services.

“The longer we delay, the more we put at risk those who would benefit most from these life-saving investments,” Timberlake said.

Attorney General Josh Kaul (D-Wisconsin) spoke alongside health officials Monday.

“These funds have an opportunity to transform the response to the opioid epidemic and, finally, to turn the corner in this fight,” he said. “It’s critical though that those funds get to our communities as soon as possible because communities and families across the state of Wisconsin continue to suffer from the impacts of substance use disorder and from opioid overdoses.”

The Department of Justice has been working to “hold opioid companies accountable for their role in this epidemic,” according to Kaul.

Wisconsin’s opioid crisis began in the late 1990s, Timberlake said, amounting to an almost 900 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths from 1999 to 2018.

According to DHS data comparing demographic groups in 2020, Black people in Wisconsin had the highest rate of all opioid deaths.

“We don’t want to see our Black men or women ,again, dying from this when they don’t have to,” Carola Gaines, co-chair of the African American Opioid Coalition, said. “If they really want to change the narrative and they really want to transform issues then hopefully some of this funding will be involved in harm reduction, recovery housing and treatment.”

In the years to come, Wisconsin is due to receive more than $400 million in total settlement funds. Thirty percent of total funds will stay at the state level, while 70 percent will go to local governments.

Ending African American Deaths from Despair Opening Remarks

AAOC Ending African American Deaths from Despair – Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive, Webinar Series Opening Remarks Friday, June 5, 2020

“Words cannot express my sorrow at this heartbreaking moment in our nation’s history. Inexcusable violence against unarmed African Americans has gone unchecked for far too long. These crimes are indefensible.

We’re reminded at times like these that African American community members are in poorer health than white Americans FOR A REASON. Research on health disparities is clear: the trauma of experiencing and viewing relentless instances of violence and discrimination against people simply because of their race, along with structural racism that deprives African Americans of opportunities to achieve the same level of success as white Americans, takes a toll on African American mental and physical health.

It is in this context that I welcome you to this Ending African American Deaths from Despair webinar series. This conference has been in the planning stages for months, but it could not be more timely. Although the term “deaths from despair” was coined to refer to a recent spike in deaths among white Americans from opioid overdose, suicide and chronic alcoholism, African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of these deaths in Dane County. And we are concerned that trauma from recent events – violence plus the disproportionate impacts of the coronavirus on the Black community – will exacerbate this trend.

The goal of this webinar series is to offer concrete solutions and opportunities for involvement to prevent deaths from despair from the African American perspective. The program was planned by the African American Opioid Coalition, a group of Black leaders convened 3 years ago under the auspices of Safe Communities to reduce drug harm in the community.

I am excited to announce that this webinar series kicks off my Ending Deaths from Despair Initiative, launched with planning support from Safe Communities. In coming months we will convene a Task Force of community and clinical mental health, faith and business leaders, first responders and advocates to implement a coordinated plan to end deaths from despair: deaths from suicide, overdose and chronic alcoholism.

In addition to work beginning during this webinar series, our action plan will include making recovery coaching and peer support available via EMS and emergency rooms for people experiencing a suicidal crisis, building partnerships with gun shops to increase safe storage options, and continuing our important work to establish Dane County’s Universal Access Center.

It is significant that this work begins thanks to leadership of Dane County’s African American community. Through this webinar series, we will learn important lessons about connection and resilience that we can apply to our work community-wide. The African American Opioid Coalition is an innovator – and we appreciate their leadership and guidance as we move forward.

I am committed to continuing to work in partnership with the African American community to make Dane County a place of opportunity, fairness and justice for all who live here, and to work for the day when every person of color has access to the opportunity and safety they deserve, free from the trauma of racism.”

Purple Lights for Recovery

Show your support for those in recovery by participating in September’s events and lighting your business, organization or home in purple lights. When you do, you’ll be joining others who have lit the purple lights in past years including:

Madison Municipal Building
LaCrosse Bridge
Appleton Houdini Square
Google Main Campus
Niagara Falls
Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame
Seattle Space Needle
Various State Capitols

If you represent an organization, let us know about your commitment to purple lights Recovery Month by completing a short form. We’ll be celebrating your group’s building in a Wall of Fame slide show on our website.

If you are an individual, Safe Communities will provide one free purple light bulb for your home at our International Overdose Awareness Day event on August 31. Please complete this form by August 15th so we can be sure to have enough lights for everyone.

Author: Cheryl Wittke

Sources of Strength Program

Safety First Program: Real Drug Education for Teens

For Immediate Release

Two-thirds of Dane County Fatal Crashes Involve No Seatbelts or Helmets

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The Facts:

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Treatment Key

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