Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner is again warning of the dangers of using illicit street drugs, following new reports of substances being laced with other drugs, unbeknownst to the user.
At a recent meeting of the Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition, members reported an uptick of MDMA — known widely as ecstasy or Molly — turning up on toxicology reports in the Medical Examiner’s Office and in the urine analysis of users in treatment with local providers.
Some of these individuals report the purchase of counterfeit prescriptions though report never purchasing or using MDMA, Zoerner said.
At the same time, Zoerner said, the Kenosha Drug Operations Group is seeing an increase in local seizures of counterfeit pills containing multiple substances when tested, as well as an increase in seizure of equipment used to manufacture counterfeit medication.
“A few years back we warned that counterfeit Xanax was being laced with fentanyl,” Zoerner said. “We then alerted the community that fentanyl is everywhere and is found in every type of illicit drug seized and field tested.
“Our next warning is, if you use street drugs of any type, you will not be ingesting what you believe you are purchasing. Just one pill can kill.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with Substance Use, misuse or dependency please know that is help available and recovery is possible, Zoerner said.
The Kenosha County Behavioral Health Resource Center is available Monday-Friday at by phone at 262-746-8555, or you can walk in at 3536 52nd St. Resource Center staff are available to help determine the services available to start treatment. Available services include: Medication-assisted treatment, peer support specialists, outpatient therapy, social detox, crisis intervention, and assistance with accessing more intensive care through insurances.
Upcoming events:
Kenosha County Behavioral Health is partnering with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, the Kenosha Police Department, the Pleasant Prairie Police Department and Somers Fire & Rescue in hosting National Drug Take Back Day events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28 at these locations:
- Wisconsin Probation and Parole Office, 1212 60th St., Kenosha.
- Pleasant Prairie Police Department, 8600 Green Bay Road.
- Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th St., Bristol.
- Somers Fire & Rescue, 7511 12th St.
Each site will take prescription and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials and pet medications, as well as vape pens or other e-cigarette devices (batteries removed). Items not accepted are illegal drugs, needles/sharps, acids, aerosol cans, biohazardous materials, personal care products, household hazardous waste and mercury thermometers.
Staff will be onsite to provide Narcan and Narcan use training, fentanyl test strips, and material and education regarding Behavioral Health Services and programs,
About the Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition:
Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition members include representatives of county human services divisions, treatment providers, the recovery community, law enforcement, local nonprofits, hospital staff, emergency medical services, and concerned citizens.
The mission of the Coalition is: To support networking among our member organizations and individuals, encourage education about alcohol and other drug abuse prevention, explore gaps in the community, and realize solutions to improve treatment and reduce alcohol and other drug abuse in our community. Our vision is to end substance misuse and overdoses in Kenosha County.
Kenosha County residents can learn more about local efforts and education by joining the coalition, which meets virtually every other month. To get onto the coalition email list serve, reach out to Kenosha County Behavioral Health Outreach Coordinator Lisa Koenen at Lisa.Koenen@kenoshacounty.org.
The Kenosha County Opioid Settlement Committee, a separate body charged with developing recommendations for the use of the opioid settlement funds the county is receiving from pharmecutical companies, will meet at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Pleasant Prairie Village Hall, 9915 39th Ave. Citizens’ comments are welcome at the beginning of each meeting.