The Fentanyl Epidemic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine and largely hidden in party drugs like cocaine. The drug has swept across the United States in recent years, especially in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to WPR, more than 500 drug-related deaths in Milwaukee County were tied to fentanyl.

The fentanyl crisis is hitting the hardest in Black and Latino neighborhoods in Milwaukee. These communities are struggling with this rapidly spreading epidemic while already straining under the weight of poverty, disinvestment, and violent crime. According to the NY Times, a federal report released in July of 2022, stated that drug overdose deaths in the US hit people of color the hardest. Data from Milwaukee County showed that from 2020 to 2021, fatal overdoses increased by 6% among white people, but 55% among Black people. 

The acceleration of fentanyl use in Milwaukee has been traced to the pandemic when so many people were isolated and unable to work. The rise of this drug is blatant in the city, with drug deals and usage being done out in the open, near fast-food restaurants, in parking lots, and on street corners. The demand is high and the results are fatal. 

According to DHS Wisconsin, data shows that fentanyl overdose deaths grew by 97% from 2019 to 2021. This sharp increase is not only impacting those who use opioids. Cocaine deaths involving synthetic opioids have also increased. 

Fentanyl is hard to detect. You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it. The lethal substance is being pressed into pills and mixed into other drugs. A person may think they are using one substance, but they are instead using something laced with fentanyl. 

So what can we do? Fentanyl strips are legal in Wisconsin and available for purchase. These strips are also being distributed for free at some pharmacies, syringe service providers, and opioid treatment programs. If someone you live with is using substances, keep NARCAN on hand and learn how to use it. The opioid crisis is a tricky and evolving problem and requires a cooperative effort between partners, organizations, and communities.