The opioid epidemic has upended countless lives and caused harm in communities across the country. From 2000 to 2020, more than 10,000 Wisconsinites died from an opioid overdose. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is working to address this crisis holistically.
Getting Accountability
The Wisconsin Department of Justice works to disrupt the supply of dangerous drugs to our communities and to hold those who distribute narcotics accountable. Wisconsin DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation regularly works with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat drug trafficking. In addition, Wisconsin DOJ's regional drug prosecutors assist the DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation field offices in Wausau and Appleton and local district attorneys with the investigation and prosecution of significant drug-related offenses.
Wisconsin DOJ has also prioritized getting accountability from companies that engaged in conduct that allegedly contributed to the opioid epidemic. The work of states, counties, and municipalities around the country has secured substantial recoveries, approximately $780 million of which has been secured for the State of Wisconsin and Wisconsin counties and municipalities. Consistent with 2021 Wisconsin Act 57, 87 local governments that participated in the opioid litigation receive 70 percent of the funds, with the state receiving 30 percent of the funds. The state's portion is administered by Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS).
Preventing substance-use disorder and reducing harm
Preventing
substance-use disorder is another important part of combating the opioid
epidemic. Wisconsin DOJ annually joins the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
in supporting two Drug Take Back days, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Drug Take Back provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal
of unused and unwanted medications, while also educating the community about
the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these
medications. Wisconsin has collected a total of over a million pounds of
unwanted medications since Drug Take Back began in 2010 and is regularly among
the states disposing of the greatest weight of medications, regularly leading
the nation in both spring and fall Drug Take Backs. You can find a drug
disposal location near you at DoseofRealitywi.gov.
Wisconsin
DOJ partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to update
the Dose of Reality opioid misuse prevention program, with the goal of changing
the conversation around Wisconsin’s evolving opioid epidemic. Webpages that can
be found at DoseofRealitywi.gov:
- provide information about the risks of opioids;
- provide information about safe storage and disposal of medications;
- offer strategies to support people who have or are at risk of having an opioid-use disorder;
- provide information about naloxone;
- help with finding treatment and recovery services.
Expanding access to treatment and recovery programs
Access to treatment continues to be a barrier for many people struggling with substance-use disorder. Making treatment more accessible is a key component of effectively addressing the opioid epidemic. At the end of 2024, approximately 27.5 percent of the opioid settlement funds received by the state, and administered by DHS, were awarded to fund capital projects at treatment facilities with the goal of adding treatment beds and expanding access to treatment services.
Wisconsin DOJ administers the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) program, which supports programs around the state that help individuals who have entered the criminal justice system due to a substance-use disorder get needed treatment. TAD was expanded by $2.5 million annually in the 2021-2023 biennial budget, and in 2025, the TAD grant funds 61 treatment courts and 30 diversion programs across Wisconsin. More information about the TAD program.