MILWAUKEE— New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that overdose deaths nationwide fell by nearly 30,000. That’s a 27% decrease from years prior.
However, data from Milwaukee County shows that despite a decline in overdose deaths in Milwaukee County in 2024, overdose deaths for Black Milwaukee residents remained twice as high as the rates for white residents in the city.
Those stats are one of the numerous reasons why Anita Garrett is working to advocate for lifesaving tools like Narcan or Naloxone to be easily and readily accessible within her community.
Milwaukee is where Garrett raised her kids and continues to live. She said she cares deeply for the Milwaukee community and wants to reduce the number of overdose deaths within it.
Garrett lost her son Sam to an overdose death when he was just 32 years old. Over a decade later, she said it’s still painful to look at pictures of him as a little boy and picture the life he would have had.
“The day that my son died, a part of me left too,” Garrett said. “Never once does a mother think she will be burying her child. It should be the other way around.”
Since her son’s death, Garrett said she is making it her mission to help others have lifesaving tools like Narcan and Naloxone on hand and know how to use it.
She said her hope is to advocate and make sure others in her community don’t have to deal with the same pain she went through.
“I can’t save my son, but I can help other mothers not go through what I am going through today,” she said. “That was 14 years ago.”
In 2024, Black Milwaukee residents made up 42% of all overdose deaths in the county, according to data from Milwaukee County.
Garrett said even one death is too many. Her hope is for others to look out for their friends and neighbors and use the tools and resources available to help save lives.
“This can happen to anybody,” Garrett said. “Don’t think you are exempt from this happening. But in the meantime, as a parent… what parents can do is get resources.”
For the past few years, she’s been dedicating her time and energy to share her story. She has hopes of her message of education and access to resources will be heard by those around her.
“I’m doing something that another parent doesn’t have to do this,” Garrett said. “I am doing this in remembrance of my son.”
In fact, her daughter Shunda Garrett recently saved the life of someone suffering from an overdose.
Garrett said her daughter had Naloxone in her car and was able to administer it after the victim’s friends fled because they were scared.
Garrett said she hopes the saving of lives continues and overdose death rates in the city of Milwaukee will reduce.