(Brown County, Wis.) – Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach, with the support of Brown County Public Health Officer Anna Nick, declared fentanyl a Community Health Crisis in the County of Brown back on September 1, 2022. Today, an update is being provided on both a local and statewide push of promoting response and communication.

“Fentanyl and opioid misuse know no boundaries, and it has been our mission to raise awareness of how communities across Wisconsin can better tackle this invasive threat,” says Streckenbach. “Brown County and Waukesha County have created blueprints that provide all 72 counties with the tools necessary to help with their own awareness campaigns. We continue to work with the state and Wisconsin Counties Association to make this a statewide campaign.”

Raising the public awareness of fentanyl and opioid misuse locally has been done through multiple billboards, social media posts, mailers to all addresses in Brown County, and a partnership with school districts in Brown County to send informational flyers home with students with the goal of sparking conversation with parents.

“If you ask your children what fentanyl is, would they be able to answer you?” says Nick. “Would they be able to tell you that just a little bit can be mixed into other drugs and can kill you? It may seem harsh, but this is the reality of the situation we’re facing that fentanyl just once can be deadly.”

Brown County Public Health also hosted its first meeting of a Task Force featuring key community stakeholders designed to strengthen and promote the three pillars of prevention, response, and recovery. Their goal is to identify and promote the work already taking place in our community, identify any gaps which may exist, and how to collaboratively address those gaps. 

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