TO 87 DIFFERENT LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS THROUGHOUT WISCONSIN
AS PART OF A MULTISTATE LAWSUIT
AGAINST COMPANIES THAT
MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE
PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS.
THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
APPROVED THE AMOUNT TUESDAY AND
RELEASED A STATEMENT, SAYING THE
SETTLEMENT WE APPROVED TODAY
WILL ASSURE THAT AS MUCH FUNDING
AS POSSIBLE GOES TOWARD ABUSE
PREVENTION AND RECOVERY AS
OVERDOSE DEATHS INCREASED MORE
THAN 25% AND HID A RECORD HIGH
LAST YEAR.
DESPITE HOLDING BIG PHARMA
ACCOUNTABLE, COMMUNITIES WILL BE
STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION AND
OVERDOVERDOSES FOR YEARS TO COM.
ONE PARAMEDIC HAS SEEN FIRSTHAND
HOW THE PO PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WE
AND IN ASHLAND IT HITS CLOSE TO
HOME.
DAVID REKEMEYER JOINS US NOW
FROM ASHLAND AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
>> I'M VERY WELL.
THANK YOU.
BUT DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR DAYS ARE
LIKE AS A FIRST RESPONDER IN THE
MIDST OF A SURGE IN OVERDOSES.
>> WELL, LIKE EVERY OTHER
PROBLEM WITH HEALTH OR TRAUMA
THAT PARAMEDICS AND FIRE
DEPARTMENTS DEAL WITH, SOME DAYS
THERE ARE -- THERE'S NOTHING
GOING ON AND OTHER DAYS, YOU
KNOW, WE'LL RESPOND TO ONE OR
MORE OPIOID OVERDOSE CALLS.
OFTEN IT DEPENDS ON IF THERE'S A
NEW BATCH OF DRUGS THAT HAS COME
INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SOMETIMES THOSE DRUGS ARE
STRONGER THAN WHAT PEOPLE WITH
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER ARE USED
TO HAVING AND SO THEY'LL
OVERDOSE ON THOSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE DAY
WE GOT THREE CALLS RIGHT IN A
ROW.
>> WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TOO AS YOU
JUST DESCRIBED IS NOT JUST
OPIOIDS AND HEROIN BUT OTHER
DRUGS ARE IN INCREASING USE AS
WELL.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> WELL, I THINK PROBABLY THE
LARGEST PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING NOW
IS WITH AN OPIOID ANALOG CALLED
FENT FENT NOL, A DRUG THAT IS CD
IN LABORATORY AND THERE'S LARGE
AMOUNTS OF IT THAT ARE COMING
INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM
MEXICO, MAKING ITS WAY
THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES.
AND A LOT OF THE DRUGS THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE,
YOU KNOW, ABUSING ARE CUT WITH
FENTANOL.
IT'S VERY STRONG AND PEOPLE
DON'T ALWAYS KNOW THEY'RE
INGESTING IT.
THEY INGEST MORE THAN THEY
PLANNED ON TAKING AND THEY
OVERDOSE ON IT.
>> YEAH.
>> WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
>> ASHLAND IS RANKED AS ONE OF
THE LEAST HEALTHY COUNTIES IN
WISCONSIN, WITH A HIGH CHILD
POVERTY RATE.
HOW DO THOSE CONDITIONS PLAY
INTO DRUG USE AND ABUSE AND
WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF?
>> WELL, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW,
THINK OF THINGS IN TERMS OF, YOU
KNOW, WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH?
YOU KNOW, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF
HEALTH ARE THINGS LIKE ACCESS TO
EDUCATION, ACCESS TO FOOD
SECURITY, ACCESS TO GOOD HEALTH
CARE.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE A
CHALLENGE FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
POVERTY.
AND IN THIS AREA OF WISCONSIN, A
LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE AT OR UNDER
THE POVERTY LINE.
AND I THINK BECAUSE OUR
COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, ARE --
YOU KNOW, DRUGS ARE EASY TO GET.
OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FLOODED WITH
THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE,
ONCE THEY GET STARTED, YOU KNOW,
IN THE BEGINNING I THINK IT CAN
BE EASIER TO LOOK AT -- TO FACE
LIFE IN AN ALTERED STATE THAN TO
FACE LIFE, YOU KNOW, HEAD-ON
FROM A POSITION OF POVERTY AND
NO OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT THEY'RE
RELATED IN THAT WAY.
>> HOW DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC
PLAYED INTO THIS PROBLEM?
>> WELL, I THINK THE PANDEMIC
PLAYED INTO IT BECAUSE THERE ARE
ALREADY THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE
MADE THIS A BAD PROBLEM.
AND YOU ADD ON TO THAT THE FACT
THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE NOW,
YOU KNOW, -- THEY HAVE A GREATER
DEGREE OF ANXIETY ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, GOING OUT AND ABOUT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU
KNOW, GETTING SICK.
WE'RE STUCK IN OUR HOMES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS KIND OF
CREATE THE PERFECT STORM OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS THAT
MAKE PEOPLE MORE ANXIOUS.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE MORE ANXIOUS
AND THEY HAVE A PREDILECTION
TOWARDS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER,
BE IT ALCOHOL, BE IT HEROIN,
WHATEVER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT,
THEY TEND TO DO MORE OF THAT AS
A MEANS TO MITIGATE THE STRESS
THEY'RE FEELING.
>> WELL, WE WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US TO DESCRIBE WHAT
IT'S LIKE ON THE GROUND AND ALSO
FOR YOUR WORK.
SO DAVID REKEMEYER, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.