WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — For the second year in a row, Winnebago County is reporting an uptick in overdose deaths.
The Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) team released its annual report, sharing statistics, trends and recommendations to prevent overdoses and deaths in the future.
According to the report, 41 people died in Winnebago County due to drug overdose in 2021.
Jennifer Skolaski with the Winnebago County OFR Team says it’s an 11% increase compared to 2020.
“Fentanyl is the leading cause of these overdose deaths,” said Skolaski. “We know it’s the primary cause of most of these deaths.”
The majority of deaths occurred among people between the ages of 25 and 44.
View the full Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review report here.
“Overdose deaths affect everyone,” said Skolaski. “We have seen that age group, that focus of 25 to 44, get younger.”
The team has formerly offered increased access to Narcan, a medicine used to reverse the effects of an overdose. It has also provided free fentanyl test strips.
“We say fentanyl is in everything,” said Skolaski. “We say that because people think that it’s only certain substances fentanyl is in, but it’s in so much.”
She says with the younger age group, comes a lot of risk and stress factors.
“We are still having the impacts of a pandemic,” said Skolaski. “People being isolated and people struggling with getting jobs or keeping jobs or with child care and housing.”
She believes there needs to be more prevention and intervention opportunities as the age of overdose deaths gets younger.
“So much instability that when you’re struggling with addiction, that’s one more thing that becomes more challenging,” said Skolaski.
Looking to next year, the team plans to prioritize improving access to treatment, increasing support from medical providers, improving responses to changes in drug trends and preventing early substance use by supporting children.
“It’s really a testament to our community changing because all these wonderful people are committed to saving lives,” said Skolaski.
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