The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
As a mother, grandmother, and alderperson in Milwaukee County, I am committed to helping keep our future generations safe. One of the biggest issues our country – including our youth population – faces today is the opioid epidemic. This epidemic does not care how old you are, how much money you make, what your gender, race, or religion is, or what your status is in life. It is stealing the lives of people all around us, and the time is now to do all we can to fight back before even more people die.
In the 12-month period ending in December 2022, over 79,000 people in the U.S. were reported to have died of an opioid overdose, of which 90% – approximately 72,000 – were linked to illicit synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl. This powerful synthetic opioid is considered 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams are considered a lethal dose. Fentanyl packs a powerful punch with its speed, duration, and high potency, and it is a leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45. According to the Department of Justice, fentanyl cases have increased in Wisconsin, as the deadly substance can be found in illegal drugs and counterfeit pills. More concerning is that the amount of fentanyl in them can be completely random—it’s like playing a deadly game of roulette.
Here in Wisconsin, community organizations, first responders, advocates, families of those who have lost loved ones, and the state Legislature have been hard at work to prevent further pain inflicted on our communities. Governor Tony Evers and the state’s Department of Health Services (DHS) are actively involved in work to help prevent deaths, but we are asking them to adopt an “all-tools-in-the-toolbox” approach going forward. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several overdose reversal innovations over the last several years; however, access to these reversal agents is not currently permitted by the state’s 2023 standing orders, which allow nurses and physicians to provide communities products like naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) without a prescription or patient order. These new products, which have FDA support, should be made broadly available to those who are in a position to respond to overdose emergencies.
I am respectfully asking DHS to amend the state’s standing orders to allow for broader access to all FDA-approved opioid reversal agents in order to equip our communities with more tools to prevent unnecessary deaths. While we cannot stop every tragic loss of life, an approach like this can give our future generations a chance to thrive and succeed.
Pam Akers is a Greenfield alderperson and Board of Health member.
