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FACT BRIEF

Do the latest annual statistics show 1,400 people in Wisconsin died of opioid overdoses?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

In 2021, the latest full year of final data available, there were 1,427 deaths in Wisconsin related to opioids, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported.

Provisional department data show there were 1,358 opioid overdose or poisoning deaths in 2022.

Overdoses occur when someone takes too much of a recommended amount of a substance, such as a prescription drug. Poisoning more accurately describes a scenario in which someone unknowingly ingests fentanyl while believing they are taking a legitimate opioid.

Synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, cause the vast majority of Wisconsin opioid deaths, according to the health department.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin cited the 2021 statistic in an Aug. 14 interview.

Baldwin cosponsored a bipartisan bill introduced in April that aims to reduce fentanyl trafficking by imposing sanctions on transnational criminal organizations.

No votes have been taken on the bill, but in June it was placed on the Senate’s legislative calendar.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Department Of Health Services Dose of Reality: Opioids Data
Wisconsin Watch Fentanyl in Wisconsin: Drug killing over 1,000 people each year
Wisconsin Department Of Health Services Public Health Advisory: Fentanyl Increasingly Present in Overdose Deaths in Wisconsin
Spreaker Interview- Senator Tammy Baldwin (4:00)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Bill to Target Fentanyl Supply Chain
US Congress S.1271 - FEND Off Fentanyl Act
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.