Milwaukee County's fight against fentanyl; 79% of fatal overdoses
MILWAUKEE - Hundreds of people have died from drug overdoses in Milwaukee County in 2022. Some of them are children.
Earlier in October, a 1-year-old girl's parents brought her to Children's Wisconsin. Alieonni Lane was not breathing. She was cold to the touch – and died. An autopsy later found the 17-month-old child has more than enough fentanyl in her system to kill an adult.
Court documents say when West Allis police searched the home of her parents, Alize Comyne and Charvonte Lane, they found fentanyl inside. The parents are now criminally charged.
Alize Comyne, Charvonte Lane
The infant's death is one of a growing number of overdose deaths in Milwaukee County this year. Records from the medical examiner's office show in 2012, fentanyl played a role in five overdose deaths. So far in 2022, we're at 329 fentanyl-related deaths – 79% of fatal overdoses.
"So these are our fentanyl test strips that we give out when we have our needle exchange days," said Stacy Clark, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center Prevention Manager.
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Harm reduction is key at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. The idea is to give people the ability to test drugs they may use – and hopefully save their lives.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, Milwaukee
"We usually give out our Narcan as well," Clark said.
"There’s a person that’s being treated here in the clinic…and here they are, and now they’re not," said Nikki Kroner, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
Right as FOX6 News sat down with Kroner, he learned another patient died of an overdose.
Nikki Kroner
"That’s how fast! And the epidemic of suicide’s enough," Kroner said. "Do not alienate, do not punish. If someone wants to get sober, the courage that that takes is enormous."
There is help for those struggling with addiction – whether it is treatment programs, Narcan, or test strips now available across the state.
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"Just because you test your substance, we’re not expecting you to not use it, but you really want to use it safely," said Courtney Geiger, Milwaukee Health Department Public Health Strategist.
The Milwaukee Health Department said there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Officials are customizing their outreach based on things like race or neighborhood.
"We shouldn’t be negatively thinking of these people because there’s nobody that’s untouched by this," Geiger said.