The Milwaukee Post

By DAVE FIDLIN Special to The Post MILWAUKEE – The statistics do not lie. With heroin use and the number fatal overdoses rising dramatically the past five years, few people would argue sweeping efforts need to be made to curb the epidem- ic. While attention has turned toward elected officials and law enforce- ment to enact and uphold laws that address the issue, local leaders have asserted no one profes- sion or organization can be handed the task of putting an end to heroin use in the Milwaukee area. Efforts to stem the tide should not be done in a vacuum, advocates trumpeted at the regional symposium, "Heroin: Not on Our Watch – Protecting Our Communities," that was held June 4 at Marquette University. The daylong event, which included repre- sentatives from Milwaukee and four neigh- boring counties, included speakers from a number of nonprofit organizations and pub- lic agencies that shared a similar mission. Throughout Milwaukee County, mem- bers of disparate groups have agreed to band together and fight the heroin epidemic that is sweeping the entire Milwaukee met- ropolitan area – including some of the most affluent communities. The Milwaukee-based AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has nine branches throughout the state. As its name implies, the organization focuses primarily on creat- ing awareness around HIV and AIDS. More recently, however, the ARCW has rallied around other causes, including the rise in heroin use by youths. "No one group is the solution to this," said Dennis Radloff, drug prevention spe- cialist with the ARCW's Milwaukee branch. "It takes all of us together." As is the case with most organizations, Radloff readily admits funding is one of the largest obstacles as the ARCW aims to carry out its mission. Challenges aside, he said the organization is committed to offering a range of treatment and prevention services. One way the ARCW has been involved with the heroin crisis has been the distribu- tion of so-called heroin antidote kits that contain Narcan, a drug that is intended to reverse the effects of heroin. Since word has spread about the rise of heroin use, a variety of coalitions has sprouted up throughout the region to advo- cate toward greater collaboration within and across county lines. In Milwaukee County, an organization known as the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition has been working in tandem with the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute to bring awareness to the issue. "The law enforcement are important. Organizations working toward treatments and cures are good. Community organiza- tions are good," said Kari Lerch, a preven- tion services manager with the coalition. "But none of these groups can do this alone. Our community coalitions are a great way to bring everyone together." While grass-roots efforts and nonprofit organizations have been viewed as an important mechanism toward bringing awareness to the epidemic, state-run agen- cies hold equal weight. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Bureau of Prevention, Treatment and Recovery has an office in Milwaukee. The agency has been designated as the state's official opioid treatment authority. Tanya Hiser, a specialist with the agency, said a variety of medication-assisted treat- ments is available to heroin addicts. The bureau works as a liaison to help bring the treatments to people who need them. As advocates scramble to get the word out about heroin's rise, a variety of efforts is being taken to gain awareness. One such method has been a multimedia campaign known as the Fly Effect. Playing off the lyrics in the age-old nurs- ery rhyme, "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," the campaign basically states one hit of heroin is one hit too many. Like the nursery rhyme, which portrayed the old woman and her ongoing efforts to build on her previous experiences, heroin use can start small and quickly grow out of control. "Even the biggest spirals have the small- est start," said Christina McNichol, an agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice. "In the case of heroin, what are users going to do to get their next hit?" Southeastern Wisconsin has been espe- cially hit hard with a more than double amount of heroin overdoses having been recorded from 2009 to 2013. In 2009, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties notched 45 overdos- es. In 2013, the five-county region encoun- tered 98 overdoses. June 20, 2014 • Milwaukee County Post • 7 Banding together County organizations, agencies bring awareness to heroin epidemic Second in a two-part series RUM 1.75L Appleton Rum .......................................$24.99 Sailor Jerry $22.99 -$4MR................$10 on 2 $18.99 Capt. 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