In Wisconsin there were 1,775 opioid overdose deaths in 2021, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, an extension of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says that’s more deaths from opioids than car crashes; and the use of heroin, cocaine, meth, and abuse of prescription medications continues to rise.
L.E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center, a service of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, is recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 by sharing details about how to recognize if someone is experiencing an overdose:
- Unresponsiveness or unconsciousness
- Slow, weak or no breathing
- Cold or clammy skin
- Discolored lips or fingernails
- Snoring or gurgling sounds
