Kenosha Reporter

As International Overdose Awareness Day approaches, Kenosha County is organizing an event to inform the public about overdose prevention efforts and available resources. The event, titled “What’s New with Overdose Prevention in Kenosha,” will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. at Professional Services Group, located at 2108 63rd St.

Attendees will have access to Human Services on the Go resources, including information from Kenosha County Behavioral Health Services, PSG, and Rogers Behavioral Health. Free Narcan training and fentanyl test strips will be provided during the event.

A brief program scheduled for 4:30 p.m. will include a proclamation by County Executive Samantha Kerkman, a personal recovery story, and a spiritual thanksgiving.

“Each year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world are lost to overdoses,” Kerkman said. There are survivors, but sometimes they suffer permanent injury. Families and friends are impacted by the loss of their loved ones. All of us are affected in some way.”

Kenosha County reported 58 overdose deaths in 2023; 43 of those involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. Data for 2024 and 2025 is not yet finalized but appears slightly lower than last year.

“For too long, the overdose crisis has been hidden in the shadows,” said Kari Foss, director of the county’s Division of Behavioral Health Services. “Together with Kenosha County Public Health and other partners, we have worked for the past several years to bring awareness of the overdose crisis to our community through the distribution of fentanyl test strips, Narcan training, and, starting last year, recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day.

“This important day provides an opportunity for us to talk about and prevent overdoses in our community. Knowing the facts about drugs and what to do when you see someone experiencing an overdose saves lives.”

Foss added that overdoses can occur anywhere and affect anyone.

The county continues its outreach alongside other local institutions serving diverse communities. For example, among Kenosha County schools in the 2023-24 academic year—Indian Trail High School and Academy enrolled over two thousand students; Tremper High School had nearly fifteen hundred; Bradford High School followed closely behind (https://dpi.wi.gov/). The student body was composed primarily of white students at just over half (55.6%), with Hispanic students making up more than a quarter (25.7%) and Black students accounting for about one-tenth (10.4%) (https://dpi.wi.gov/). American Indian students represented a small fraction at just 0.2% (https://dpi.wi.gov/).