KESHENA, WI – Wisconsin is following a national trend of declining overdose deaths, with the state seeing a nearly 27 percent drop in 2024. Public health experts say the decline is a promising sign that prevention efforts are working but caution that challenges remain, particularly in rural areas and among Indigenous populations, where overdose rates are still disproportionately high.
To help close those gaps, public health organization Vital Strategies is awarding $1.3 million in grants to support overdose prevention efforts across Wisconsin. Seventeen local and tribal governments were selected to receive up to $100,000 each to implement evidence-based programs.
Among the recipients is the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, which plans to use its funding to establish a syringe service program, expand access to treatment for pregnant women with substance use disorders, and offer harm reduction training and education to the broader community.
Officials say these targeted initiatives are designed to build on recent progress and ensure resources reach the communities that need them most.
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