Statistics suggest overdose deaths from heroin or other opiates are on the rise in Milwaukee County.
Recent data from the county’s Medical Examiner’s Office indicates that the county saw 191 such deaths between Jan. 1 and Sep. 24 this year. In this same period in 2015, the total of such deaths was only 176.
A recent statement from a Milwaukee alderman noted that the county’s annual heroin/opiate death total may end passing 250 by year’s end if this pace keeps up. If this were to happen, 2016 would end up seeing many more such deaths in the county than 2015 did. The year-wide total for 2015 was 231 deaths.
The level of overdose deaths for a given drug in an area can end up influencing many things. This includes what kinds of policymaking ends up happening in the area regarding the drug and what efforts law enforcement agencies in the area take when it comes to the drug. One wonders how officials and law enforcement in the Milwaukee area will respond to the apparent rise in heroin/opiate overdose deaths in the county.
The policies and enforcement efforts in an area when it comes to a given class of drug can be very impactful. For one, they could influence what sorts of investigatory methods a person suspected of illegal conduct regarding the drug might face and could impact what things could be likely to be major issues in criminal cases involving the drug.
What do you think 2017 will see when it comes to opioid/heroin enforcement in the Milwaukee area?
Source: FOX6Now, ““It’s alarming:” Data shows Milwaukee County on pace for record number of opioid overdose deaths,” Ben Handelman, Nov. 30, 2016