“Wisconsin had over 1,400 opioid overdose deaths in 2022.”
In 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services found synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, caused 91% of opioid deaths. In May, the department announced $18 million in new funding for drug abuse treatment and prevention, including fentanyl. Wisconsin’s synthetic opioid crisis worsened in recent years. Provisional data from DHS shows there were 1,358 opioid overdose or poisoning deaths in 2022, a slight decrease from 2021 but still a 62% increase from five years ago. [...] "Fentanyl is more potent than morphine and heroin and the leading cause of overdose deaths in 2021," said a statement attributed to Fitzgerald, who passed similar legislation while in the Wisconsin state Senate. "Too many families are losing loved ones to drug overdoses fueled by fentanyl."