Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the Office of Emergency Management Launch New Overdose Dashboard

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) are proud to announce the launch of a new Overdose Dashboard aimed at providing critical insights into overdose trends and informing data-driven intervention strategies. The dashboard, which compiles data from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office and OEM’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records, will serve as a key resource for policymakers, public health officials, community organizations, and researchers working to combat the opioid crisis in Milwaukee County.

“As Milwaukee County works toward our vision of becoming the healthiest county in Wisconsin, we must prioritize evidence-based, data-driven decisions to develop effective harm reduction programs and services,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “Addressing a challenge that impacts our entire community requires the support and engagement of everyone. The Overdose Dashboard is a testament to the importance of collaboration in combatting the overdose epidemic and driving meaningful change.”

OEM has prioritized advanced data analytics as part of its broader public health response, leveraging its expertise in EMS data analysis and system oversight. With funding from Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF), OEM has developed tools and resources to enhance community response efforts. To date, Milwaukee County has successfully recovered over $100 million in opioid litigation settlements, representing the largest amount recovered by any local government in the history of Wisconsin. The settlement funds have been used to support a wide range of approaches to reducing death from overdose, including countywide distribution of harm reduction supplies, building capacity at residential substance abuse treatment facilities, and improving data analytics to inform policy decisions.

The Overdose Dashboard evolved from collaboration between local organizations, including the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Injury Center (CIC) and the Overdose Public Health Safety Team (OD-PHAST) workgroup, a multi-disciplinary team comprised of key public health, public safety, and other partners to review data and conduct case reviews of fatal overdoses. OEM’s active participation in OD-PHAST drives collaboration with local fire departments that are developing Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) teams for overdose follow-ups and referrals. With a recent OSF award of nearly $2.4 million, OEM is helping fund these efforts to strengthen Milwaukee County’s emergency response and community outreach.

“Our role in EMS system oversight gives us unique access to real-time overdose data and allows us to analyze trends to inform prevention and intervention strategies,” said Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor. “By working with partners like the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, we can create evidence-based policy recommendations that help save lives. We are seeing that work reflected in lower levels of overdose deaths in Milwaukee County.”

The data reveals several key findings. Preliminary data from 2024 shows the potential for a major decrease in opioid overdose deaths, compared to 2023, once all data is complete. This trend suggests that harm reduction strategies and emergency interventions may be starting to yield positive results. However, continued vigilance and targeted responses remain necessary to sustain and enhance this progress. The city of Milwaukee continues to experience the highest overdose activity, while other communities, including West Allis, exhibit disproportionately high numbers of overdoses relative to their populations. This data highlights the need for localized intervention strategies that consider social determinants of health and access to treatment services.

African American males, particularly those over the age of 50, have been disproportionately affected by fatal overdoses. This demographic trend underscores the need for targeted outreach, education, and treatment accessibility tailored to older individuals in this community, who may face unique barriers to care. While fentanyl-alone overdoses are decreasing, there is a concerning rise in cases involving fentanyl in combination with other substances such as cocaine, xylazine, and alcohol. Understanding these evolving drug use patterns is critical in shaping future harm reduction and public health initiatives.

The Milwaukee County Overdose Dashboard provides an accessible and comprehensive view of overdose trends, offering crucial data to stakeholders dedicated to reducing overdoses. By understanding demographic patterns and geographic distributions, leaders can develop targeted prevention and intervention strategies that effectively address the opioid crisis at its roots.

For more information or to access the dashboard, visit the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management’s website.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.