GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay is receiving additional doses of a life-saving drug to help in its fight against the opioid crisis.
As part of the millions of dollars Wisconsin received from lawsuits against opioids manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies, the Green Bay Police Department received additional doses of Narcan.
Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
On his tour across Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul stopped at the Green Bay Police Department Tuesday to talk about the impact Narcan can have on communities.
“I hear from officers around the state about the work that they’re doing to help save lives. One of the things I hear from officers about is when they’re using Narcan and they encounter somebody who is going through an overdose, using Narcan can help save a life,” Kaul said.
According to Green Bay police chief Chris Davis, so far this year, Green Bay police officers deployed Narcan 60 times and the Narcan received through the settlement funds since 2022, has saved 24 lives this year.
Davis says it’s about saving lives so people can get into treatment and onto a healthier journey.
“A common question that I get asked as a public safety leader is, you know, aren’t we encouraging somehow drug use by deploying Narcan by police officers? And I would say, absolutely not. What has changed in the epidemic of synthetic opioids like fentanyl is a lot of times, that first time user doesn’t get a chance because an overdose can happen literally anytime anyone uses fentanyl or another substance that is contaminated or laced with fentanyl,” he said.
So far, funding from the opioid lawsuit settlements distributed 31,560 additional doses of Narcan to law enforcement across Wisconsin.
While some opioid matters remain ongoing, Wisconsin is already set to receive over $764 million in settlement funds. Local governments that participated in the opioid litigation will receive 70% of the funds, with the state receiving 30% of the funds. Of that 30%, in fiscal year 2024, Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS) will receive $30 million. DHS has already received $8 million this year, and it is being used for prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder.
