Menominee Tribe Sees 70% Drop in Overdose Deaths and Hospitalizations » Urban Milwaukee

on Monday, January 9, 2023 in Keshena, Wis. Doors of the Menominee Tribal Police Station in Angela Major/WPR

The Menominee Indian Tribe in Wisconsin has seen a sharp decline in overdoses resulting in hospitalization or death this year, following two years of record overdose deaths on the reservation.

Menominee announced that so far this year, the tribe has seen a nearly 70 percent decrease in overdoses that lead to hospitalization or death. In a recent news article.

In a statement, Ben WarringtonEmergency Management Director and Co-Chief Menominee Tribe‘s Anti-Drug Addiction Team said the decrease was encouraging. He called the data a testament to tribal organizations’ efforts to provide accurate information, education and necessary resources to those struggling with addiction.

“This fight may never end, but we will continue to work together to find solutions that will lead to healthy outcomes for our communities now and into the future,” Warrington said.

In 2022, Menominee declared a state of emergency on the issue. effects of drug use and addiction. That year, Menominee CountyThe area, home to tribal reservations, had the highest overdose death rate in all of Wisconsin.

In May, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention It reported that overdose deaths decreased 3 percent nationwide from 2022 to 2023.

But Menominee actually saw an increase from 2022 to 2023. The tribe has recorded 16 overdose deaths in 2022 and 19 in 2023. Addie CaldwellDirector of Wellness Programs at Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center and co-chair of the Drug Abuse Response Team.

“Last year was by far our biggest loss,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said the tribe has seen only three overdose deaths so far this year, marking a significant change.

He said the tribe’s declaration of a state of emergency in 2022 led to a community meeting that generated ideas on how to solve the opioid crisis. This meeting then led to increased collaboration between local organizations to expand outreach through the Drug Addiction Response Team and find gaps in existing addiction resources.

A meeting on opioid addiction intervention was held on Monday, January 9, 2023, in Keshena, Wisconsin. Angela Major/WPR

“This team was actually created to look at the problem as a whole, and from there we all collaboratively achieved these goals,” Caldwell said. “I think that’s a big part of creating or reducing overdose levels.”

Caldwell said one of the biggest areas of focus is community education, which aims to reduce the stigma around addiction and promote greater understanding.

“After all, these are our brothers, these are our sisters, these are our mothers, these are our fathers. “This is our community,” he said. “The easiest thing about addiction is that we can point fingers and blame people. But this is a social problem.”

Caldwell said the tribe also uses the data to find “hot spots,” places in the community where there are a disproportionate number of overdoses and “hot times” when overdoses occur more frequently. Using this data, he says the community has been able to recruit recovery coaches into the field to help make people aware that resources are available.

He said the community is also working on harm reduction, which includes increasing the supply of fentanyl test strips and Narcan. Fentanyl test strips Narcan are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in different types of drugs. quickly reverses the effects of overdose.

“Narcan is in critical condition,” Caldwell said. “I know there’s a lot of ideas out there that think we’re giving this stuff away and it’s causing people to overdose or use more. But in reality, it’s saving a life. It’s nothing more than that.”

Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center Director Addie Caldwell on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Keshena, Wis. At Angela Major/WPR

Caldwell said he believes making Narcan available to “anyone and everyone” is probably a “No.” 1 thing changing in this community to help lower our overdose rates.

He said there is also a shift in mindset in society, especially among the tribe’s youth, where individuals are more willing to ask for help and accept the desire for change.

Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center, where Caldwell works, has seen an increase in the number of patients seeking help for mental health or addiction issues. He said the tribe is also trying to increase early intervention efforts.

“We’re actually trying to increase our interventions or almost prevention type efforts in our schools,” Caldwell said. “We try to get there sooner or give our parents an opportunity to have some discussion.”

While Menominee is encouraged by the sharp decline in overdose deaths and hospitalizations, Caldwell says there’s still work to be done. He sees this as an investment that will pay off for future generations.

“This is a study that will continue to require attention,” he said. “Just like someone in recovery, this is something they have to work on for the rest of their lives; we will continue to struggle with drugs, alcohol and everything that addiction brings.”

Listen to the WPR report

Menominee tribe sees sharp drop in overdose deaths and hospitalizations originally aired by Wisconsin Public Radio.