ABC News Today

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. – You probably go to the fair for the rides, music and food, but in Kenosha County you can come back with something that will save your life.

You might not expect to talk about drug overdoses at a trade show booth, but with 97% of Wisconsin’s deaths from fentanyl, it’s important to talk about it everywhere.

What better place than a bright day at the Kenosha County Fair to shine a light on something that is often kept in the dark.

“This is a great place to interact with people,” Kensoha County Executive Samantha Kerkman said. “They’re happening.”

“We can’t hide it anymore,” said Kenosha County resident Nicole Pietluck. “Drug abuse is strong in Kenosha and everywhere.”

Pietluck was one of dozens of people at the fair who stopped by the county booth to pick up free Narcan and get training on how to use it Saturday, Aug. 20.

“Even if you don’t think you’re going to run into a situation where you need to use Narcan, you’d be there ready and prepared,” Pietluck said.

SIGN UP TODAY – Receive daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

“In just a few minutes, I was able to connect with 33 people, and our Human Services team was able to distribute so much information, so much Narcan, and hopefully making that much safer for our residents,” said Kari Foss. manager of behavioral health for the Kenosha County Division of Aging, Disability and Behavioral Health.

As the name suggests, Kenosha County’s “Human Services on the Go” met people where they were on Saturday.

“I had a woman come up to me today and she said she works at a gas station, and she knows there have been overdoses at the local gas station where she works and she wants to be prepared for when it happens again because she’s sure it’s going to happen again,” she said. say Foss

On August 17, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued an emergency public health advisory regarding fentanyl overdose deaths.

In 2019, Kenosha County had 16 fentanyl overdose deaths. This number increased to 24 in 2020 and 40 in 2021.

It’s a complex problem, but saving a life can be surprisingly simple.

“Making it simple for people to learn about it and how they can help, and it’s such a simple thing,” Kerkman said.

“We’re just having one conversation at a time,” Foss said.

“Something should be talked about so we can prevent this,” Pietluck said.

“Human Services on the Move” will also be at the Kenosha County Fair on Sunday, handing out Narcan and training.

Health authorities stress that recovery is possible.

The Kenosha County Substance Abuse and Mental Health Resource Center, which connects people with substance use disorder resources, can be reached from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday at 262- 764-8555. The Kenosha County Crisis Hotline, operated by Kenosha Human Development Services, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 262-657-7188.

For more information on substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery, DHS invites you to visit the Dose of reality web pages. Additional help can be found through Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline available 24 hours a day. Call 211 or 833-944-4673 or text your zip code to 898211.