Statewide tour will include local community leaders and partners to talk about what we can do to save lives

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) are announcing a series of roundtable discussions to hear directly from local communities who are working toward preventing overdose deaths in the state and helping Wisconsinites struggling with opioid use.

“We are calling these roundtable discussions a “Dose of Reality” because we want to hear the reality of Wisconsinites experiences in their own communities,” said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. “We want to understand our partners’ current situation, hear what is needed to address opioid use in their community, and celebrate their successes.”

Last year, 1,421 Wisconsinites died by opioid overdose. There were also 2,530 opioid-related trips to emergency departments, and 978 hospitalizations. Drugs mixed with fentanyl account for most of the overdose deaths.

View the entire news release.