From the Kenosha County Department of Human Services:
The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office has responded to three suspected overdose deaths in four days, renewing concerns about the dangers of illegal drugs that may be laced with fentanyl and other deadly substances.
Medical Examiner Patrice Hall said the first of the three most recent suspected overdose deaths occurred Friday. Two of the cases were in the City of Kenosha; one was in the Village of Pleasant Prairie.
While the specific causes of these deaths are to be determined pending toxicology results, Hall said her office is seeing a continuing trend of fentanyl being added to other substances, often without the user’s knowledge.
“We’re seeing fentanyl mixed into things,” said Medical Examiner Patrice Hall. “We’re seeing xylazine, which is a large-animal tranquilizer. You literally don’t know what you’re getting.”
Kenosha County had 53 toxicity deaths in 2021, 40 of which involved fentanyl or a fentanyl analog, Hall noted.
While Hall strongly advises against the use of illegal drugs and the misuse of prescription medications, she said those who do choose to use should obtain fentanyl test strips so they will know if it is included in the substances they’ve obtained.
The strips, which were previously considered drug paraphernalia, are now legal under a recent Wisconsin state law change, Hall said.
Test strips are available locally from Vivent Health-Kenosha, which can be reached at 262-
657-6644 or online at https://viventhealth.org/locations/kenosha/.
