OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Winnebago County health officials hope a newly legal tool will help combat a fentanyl epidemic that's claimed the lives of dozens of people in the community.
"People don't know what's in their substance. They're not suspecting this stuff and this is killing people," said Danielle Florence, community health strategist at the Winnebago County Health Department.
Winnebago County health officials say they saw a *suspected 45 overdose deaths in 2021, a nearly 22% increase from 2020. Health officials believe fentanyl played a role in the majority of those deaths. They hope the newly legal fentanyl test strips will help combat the problem. pic.twitter.com/gELpi3GR9g
— Kelsey Dickeson (@KelseyDickeson) March 21, 2022
Florence said they're expecting to see a record number of deadly overdoses reported last year. Although the health department is still waiting on some official toxicology reports, Florence said they suspect 45 people in Winnebago County died from an overdose in 2021. That's a nearly 22% increase from the previous year. Florence said 15 of those deaths happened between mid-November and December.
Fentanyl is likely related to a majority of the total overdose deaths in 2021, Florence said. The Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review found the synthetic opioid played a role in nearly 76% of all fatal overdoses in the county in 2020.
"Fentanyl is being found in the vast majority of substances that are out there right now and it's causing a lot of overdose deaths," Florence said.
The drug is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"We need more tools in our community to save people's lives," said Jennifer Skolaski, facilitator of the Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review.
Gov. Tony Evers green lit one of those tools last week: He signed off on a bipartisan bill that decriminalized fentanyl testing strips.
The device detects the presence of fentanyl in drugs and shows a positive or negative result indicated by lines on the strip.
“It’s just another strategy in our harm reduction arsenal so it helps let people know what is in their substance," Florence said. "It gives them the information that they need to make the best decision for themselves and it keeps them safe.”
It's a tool officials hope will save lives.
"If they find there's fentanyl in their substance, maybe they'll use less. Or maybe they won't use it," Skolaski said. "Since addiction is a disease, we want to give them the same kind of tools that they need to get healthy and to get the health that they need."
People can get fentanyl testing strips at the Winnebago County Health Department.
The county is hosting an event called "Recovering In Our Community" to support those in recovery while connecting people to education about addiction and available resources. People will be able to learn how to use Narcan and the fentanyl testing strips at this event, which will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 30 at the UWO Culver Center.
