KESHENA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Menominee Nation tribal leaders attribute a significant drop in drug overdose incidents to increased education and awareness efforts, as well as more recovery resources.

“Just having more access and being able to be open about needing help and treatment has really done a lot of work,” said Addie Caldwell, director of wellness programs at the Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center.

So far in 2024, officials with the tribe’s Drug Addiction Intervention Team (DAIT) say there have been three confirmed overdose deaths and a nearly 70 percent overall drop in overdose incidents.

In 2023, there were 116 calls for overdose incidents, which included 17 overdose deaths. In 2022, when the tribe declared a state of emergency related to the impact of drug use and addiction, there were 101 calls.

Many of the overdose incidents the tribe sees involve fentanyl. For DAIT Co-President Ben Warrington, as an EMT, it is especially difficult to receive these overdose calls.

“As a service provider, as an EMT, getting that call, you’re always worried that it could be one of your family members or a friend, and that’s what happened,” Warrington said.

While the tribe has seen a positive trend this year, leaders agree there is more work to be done. Points of emphasis include reaching young people and expanding access to mental health care.

“We have children growing up in homes where, unfortunately, they have seen multiple overdoses. They lost family members. They lost their mother and father. These things come with so much pain, so much trauma,” Caldwell said.

“It’s a beautiful thing to engage and be a part of that process for people and show people that, ‘We can do this, we’re doing this together,'” added Spencer Gauthier, secretary. for the Menominee Tribal Legislature.

Anyone struggling with addiction is encouraged to take advantage of the resources the tribe has.