Opioid overdoses doubled in Racine County over the past year

Nov. 20—RACINE COUNTY — Suspected opioid overdoses have doubled countywide during the past year, according to Racine County Public Health.

As of Nov. 9, there have been 150 reports of suspected opioid overdoses, which is double the number of reports received during the same period in 2022, according to a post on the Racine County Public Health's Facebook page.

Fentanyl has been the leading cause of the overdoses in Racine County, according to the post. The synthetic opioid is up to 50 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than heroin.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, synthetic opioids are the leading causes of overdoses across the nation.

Fentanyl testing strips are available at Behavioral Health Services of Racine County, 1717 Taylor Ave., and the City of Racine Public Health Department, 730 Washington Ave.

Naloxone is a medication that can rapidly reverse an overdose and is available for purchase at many Walgreens and CVS pharmacies across the county, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

It is also available at Behavioral Health Services of Racine County and the City of Racine Public Health Department.

In the event of an overdose, call 9-1-1, administer naloxone and stay with the person until help arrives.

___

(c)2023 The Journal Times, Racine, Wisc.

Visit The Journal Times, Racine, Wisc. at www.journaltimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.