As Milwaukee County overdose and opioid overdose deaths are on the decline, County Executive David Crowley argues that more still needs to be done.
He has proposed deploying roughly $7.5 million in opioid settlement funds for people dealing with opioid and substance use disorders, with a focus on initiatives that would expand the county’s treatment and prevention services.
The proposal would need approval from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors before the money can be allocated. The board is expected to take up the request in July.
The funds would come from a record-making $102 million opioid litigation settlement agreement in 2022 that targeted companies providing opioids. It is the largest amount recovered for any local government in Wisconsin’s history.
“Through these proven initiatives and by working together, we will keep leading the way to change the lives of individuals affected by substance use disorder and reduce the likelihood of overdose-related fatalities in our community – because the lives of our neighbors depend on it,” Crowley shared in a statement on June 25.
In 2022, the county reported approximately 670 overdose deaths, with 548 of the deaths being opioid-related, according to the county’s Office of Emergency Management’s overdose dashboard. In 2023, it was reported someone dies from an overdose every 16 hours in Milwaukee County.
The latest batch of data from the office, from 2025, shows that the county is continuing a four-year downward trend in overdose-related deaths. Last year, there were just over 380 fatal overdoses in Milwaukee County. Of those, roughly 65% of the deaths were opioid-related.
Some of the projects Crowley has tapped to receive funding between 2027 and 2029 focus on:
“These efforts are aimed at breaking cycles of addiction, advancing racial equity, and improving community health outcomes across the county,” a statement from the county said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: David Crowley proposes $7.5M for opioid, drug treatment programming
Reporting by Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
