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NARCAN for Wisconsin first responders
Attorney General Josh Kaul joined law enforcement and public health officials Thursday, Aug. 17, to highlight the additional NARCAN provided to Wisconsin first responders.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Attorney General Josh Kaul joined law enforcement and public health officials Thursday, Aug. 17, to highlight the additional NARCAN provided to Wisconsin first responders.
During a press conference, they discussed additional NARCAN provided to the Wauwatosa Police Department thanks to the millions of dollars Wisconsin has received from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.
The state is putting in millions of dollars to fight the opioid epidemic, with money coming from settlements made with drug companies.
"The opioid epidemic, the cycle of addiction, and substance use disordered will not be solved with handcuffs and jail cells," Wauwatosa Chief of Police James MacGillis.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is partnering with local communities like Wauwatosa on the opioid crisis.
"These issues are impacted folks in every community in the state of Wisconsin and every community across the country," said Kaul.
Kaul says they're taking their earning from lawsuits against opioid companies to fight the epidemic.
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Additional NARCAN distributed to law enforcement
Attorney General Josh Kaul joined law enforcement and public health officials Thursday, Aug. 17 to highlight the additional NARCAN provided to Wisconsin first responders.
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"We filed suit against Purdue Pharma; we joined multi state investigations into opioid distributors," said MacGillis. "Those efforts, as well as the efforts of local and county governments, have helped us to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery that are going to go to communities across Wisconsin."
$750 million, to be exact. Wauwatosa Police Department is one of many agencies receiving doses of NARCAN- a lifesaving tool for overdoses.
NARCAN distributed to law enforcement
"The availability of NARCAN within law enforcement is a testament to the commitment to prioritize public health and safety," MacGillis said.
According to the Wauwatosa Health Department, Police administered NARCAN 80 times last year.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the lawsuit money will help them expand their recovery and preventive programs across the state.
NARCAN distributed to law enforcement
"Those are the people we want to go after, the middle to high level drug dealers," said MacGillis. "The people that are struggling, those are the people we want to refer to our public health partners to get them in some kind of intervention to stop that cycle of addiction."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, resources are listed down below.