MILWAUKEE — New data reveals that there were 560 fatal overdosesin Milwaukee County last year, about 100 less than 2022.
When it comes to non-fatal overdoses, in both of the past two years, the number skyrockets to over 5,500.
These numbers are closely watched by members of the Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative (MORI), a team that shows up at the homes of people who've experienced an overdose.
Last year, nearly 1,700 people in the city of Milwaukee were saved from overdose by a 911 call that led to Narcan being administered. In the eyes of the MORI team, every person revived by Narcan is a person who still has the opportunity to get clean.
"Why don't they just stop? They obviously don't care. Those are the thoughts that people who haven't had a conversation with somebody that's struggling would have," said Amy Molinski. "And then you find out that they do care and they do want to stop — they just don't believe that they can."
Amy is a peer support specialist. She tirelessly knocks on the doors of overdose survivors in Milwaukee, alongside fire department paramedics.
"We've always said, our badge gets us in the door and then people like Amy take over because of their lived experience," explained Capt. David Polachowski, with MFD.
Before she beat opioid addiction, Amy tried to get clean more than a dozen times. "We're gonna work together and I'm going to care about you until you care about yourself," she said, reflecting on how she communicates with those who open the door.
Data shows that approach is working. "Since the inception of the MORI program in June of 2019, we average 1.4 clients into treatment per week," said Polachowski.
"That's 1.4 people who have gone into treatment, and that means that their families, their friends, their communities — we're all impacted by those 1.4 per week. That's a huge number of people whose lives have been improved," added Amy.
Come mid-February, for the first time, the MORI team will be able to administer buprenorphine. "For the most part, it's going to help them with their withdrawal symptoms, it will also prevent them from being able to overdose within the next 24 to 36 hours," said Polachowski.
It could push forward a hopeful trend. Polachowski says data indicates fatal overdoses in Milwaukee appear to be leveling off. "In the last five years, it's gone up steadily, and looks like this is the first year where it's going to kind of hold and not increase."
Click here to learn about the MORI team.
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