WISCONSIN — Opioid deaths in Wisconsin are decreasing for the first time in decades at the same time as settlement funds are being distributed, a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds.

What You Need To Know

  • There were 1,075 opioid deaths in the state over the year of data ending in June 2024, according to the CDC, the lowest level since April 2020
  • While it’s hard to identify what caused the most recent drop in CDC data, Wisconsin Policy Forum says state and local spending may help to continue the positive trend

  • Between 2022 and 2038, Wisconsin is expected to get $780 million from opioid settlements; so far, the state has gotten $75.3 million

  • State reporting shows that the largest amount of funding, 27.5%, is going to capital projects at or for treatment facilities

There were 1,075 opioid deaths in the state over the year of data ending in June 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s the lowest level of deaths caused by the substance since April 2020.

“That is a small but not unnoticeable decline. It’s a really positive trend to see," said Ari Brown, senior research associate with the Wisconsin Policy Forum. "We haven’t really seen much positive news on this topic in the last couple of years," 

The epidemic has skyrocketed since the mid-2010s, climbing from 613 deaths in 2015 to 1,421 in 2023, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) data shows. The latest drop is in line with DHS data that showed a 3% decline in deaths from 2022 to 2023.

“There’s certainly reason to be optimistic that the deaths will continue to decline. Part of that we think is in part due to the change in how synthetic opioids are manufactured, things like the fentanyl production and where things are coming from," said Brown.

But Brown said state and local spending from settlements may only further help encourage the positive trend.

Between 2022 and 2038, Wisconsin is expected to get $780 million from opioid settlements reached with several pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers for their role in the epidemic.

So far, the state has received $75.3 million, according to DHS. At least 85.6% of this, or $64.4 million, has been allocated, but only $15.4 million has been spent.

Much of where that money has been spent was determined by feedback from communities, monitoring of state and national data and other evidence-based practices, according to DHS officials. The Legislature’s Join Finance Committee had the final say in where it went.

State reporting shows that the largest amount of funding, 27.5%, is going to capital projects at or for treatment facilities. For example, Arbor Place in Menomonie and Meta House in Milwaukee each got $4.91 million; that money will go toward adding 80 treatment beds and requisite services for women.

Funding for tribal nations received the second highest amount of funding at $12 million. That money was allocated for prevention, treatment, recovery, harm reduction, health care and more in the state’s 11 federally recognized tribal governments.

The Narcan Direct Program got close to $7.5 million for its resources and expansion. Narcan, or naloxone, can help immediately reduce an opioid overdose and has been used widely across the state, with 31,560 doses being received by law enforcement in 2022. Another resource that received an $1.1 million chunk of funding was fentanyl test strips.

At least $7.8 million went toward covering room and board for Medicaid members in residential opioid treatment, a service that’s prohibited from coverage by federal law. Policy Forum officials said this can be a “major disincentive” for people needing the service. This funding helps bridge the gap.

DHS also created a grant program for law enforcement agencies with the funding. Those funds are given to agencies to help them keep opioid dependents out of jail or to treat them while they’re in jail. It was also used to train staff on addiction medications and support for developing drug disposal systems in the community.

Milwaukee County is receiving the largest chunk of settlement funds, totalling at around $102 million over the two-decade timeline.

That’s intentional, as the county accounts for the largest amount of opioid deaths since 2019; it saw 43.3% of all Wisconsin opioid deaths in the year ending in June 2024. Death rates in this area are also falling at a slower rate than all other counties in the state.

The county has so far approved $16.5 million for 15 projects in the initial three fiscal years for spending. In one of the biggest projects, nearly $5 million went toward grants for prevention, treatment and harm reduction, which were given to community-based organization targeting “historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected groups in Milwaukee.”

Local governments in the state are also receiving settlement funds. They had received almost $123 million by the end of 2024, but that spending data is not available yet.

Brown said early numbers are showing that corners of the state are spending money in different ways.

“The opioid epidemic really is a regional thing. The way that it looks in one corner of the state might not look the same as a different corner of the state," said Brown. “Every community is going to have certain programs and policies that help to fight the epidemic head on."

Wisconsin Policy Forum officials said the state and other recipients will have to decide how to spend funds to ensure they can sustain themselves once funds run out after 2038.

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