RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) -- The Forest County Potawatomi Community has begun an aggressive campaign to fight opioid abuse in Forest county.
The public awareness campaign will begin with television ads and print displays around Forest County. It also includes a website, (www.fcpchelp.com,) with specific details on where people can find addiction treatment and inpatient or outpatient counseling services.
The Health Division Administrator for the Potawatomi community, Julie Beeney, says the impact of opioids locally is significant. "Forest Co. is home to 700 of our tribal members with a total tribal enrollment of just over 1,600 and 700 live in Forest county. Of those, the tribe estimates that somewhere between 20-25 percent have struggled with some form of addiction."
While the campaign moves to have persons with addictions to seek help, Beeney says the goal also is to have a stepped up law enforcement presence to keep the drugs out. Earlier this year, the tribe committed nearly $450,000 over the next two years to the sheriff's department to hire two additional drug enforcement officers. Crandon Police will also receive more than $225,000 over the next three years to hire an additional officer.
Beeney says one of the grants hires an officer working specifically with young people. "The Youth Prevention Officer is employed by the Forest Co. Sheriff's office but will be deployed solely on reservation land to begin building relationships between tribal youth and local law enforcement. Those are relationships that have not always been in place."
With the help of a state grant, the Tribe has set up new programs and hired additional specialists to help people struggling with addition. Those grant monies will go to programs already in place within the community.
Despite having a low county population, the number of opioid-related incidents in Forest county is far above the statewide average. Data from the Forest County Sheriff’s Department shows that the county has seen 37 non-fatal opioid related overdoses and nine deaths related to opioids so far in 2018.
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