By Jason Arndt
Editor
Drugs are in Twin Lakes, along with other municipalities, and village police want local residents to come together to keep each other safe from a reported epidemic.
The Twin Lakes Police Department, in a Facebook post Friday, said education and seeking help is crucial to saving lives.
“Lets stop this horrible epidemic…Please read this important information and educate yourself and your loved ones,” the post states. “These drugs are appearing in our area and we need to work together to keep our community safe and drug free.”
The post continued, stating deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, excluding methadone, increased 72 percent from 2014 to 2015.
“Government agencies and officials of all types are rightly concerned by what some are describing as the third wave of our ongoing opioid epidemic,” the post wrote.
Fentanyl, according to the post, is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine.
At a June 5 Twin Lakes committee of the whole meeting, where police proposed a new K9 unit, the village saw 19 fatal narcotic overdoses since 2011.
Of the 19 deaths, 17 were from opiate use.
Officer Joe Patla, who delivered the presentation, said “Heroin is the biggest issue we have in Twin Lakes.”
Meanwhile, Kenosha County, including city limits, had 136 drug overdose deaths from 2012-14, ranked fourth in Wisconsin.
For fentanyl, it is a pain reliever used for post-operative treatment, and for people who have developed a tolerance for other opioids, it is prescribed to address chronic pain.
In prescription form, fentanyl carries the following names: Actiq, Duragesic and Sublimaze.
As an alternative, people suffering from chronic pain, inflammation and related problems might want to opt for cannabis products. However, it is always advisable to conduct thorough research on all such products – be it gummies, edibles or CBD oil UK (or US, for that matter) before consumption.
Nonetheless, along with awareness, people struggling with addiction have resources available, the post states.
To seek resources, contact (262) 552-6879 or (262) 657-7188. To get a family or friend into treatment, but unsure what action to take, contact (855) 378-4373.