Marshfield Clinic North Central Region Opioid Treatment Consortium

Today I attended the Marshfield Clinic North Central Region Opioid Treatment Consortium in Minocqua where it was announced that the Wisconsin Department of Health Services will provide $700,00 a year to the Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc. This money will be used to fund a comprehensive program to provide services to individuals addicted to opioid drugs.  

We heard from several speakers including Greg Nycz, Executive Director of the Family Health Center of Marshfield, Brooks BigJohn, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council, Secretary Kitty Rhoades, of the Department of Health Services, and my colleague and keynote speaker Representative John Nygren, of the 89th Assembly District.

The consortium is a partnership of 17 organizations from Iron, Price, Oneida, Vilas and Forest Counties and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Forest County Potawatomi and Sokaogon Chippewa Community. Consortium members will focus on detoxification and treatment, improving quality of life for individuals addicted to opioids with a focus on women of child-bearing age.

Currently, the U.S. makes up 4.6 percent of the world’s population but consumes 80 percent of the global supply of opioids. This includes 99 percent of hydrocodone produced, with Vicodin being the most prescribed medication in the U.S. According to the Wisconsin Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, some of the highest numbers of controlled substance prescriptions are in this local region.
While people ages 25-34 remain the largest group of opioid abusers, people ages 18-24 are in the fastest growing group of opioid users. Wisconsin sample data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows 4.3 percent of Wisconsin adults report using heroin or another opioid for non-medical purposes in the past year. This represents 163,300 adults. Among Wisconsinites ages 18-25, the rate of past year use of opioids is 11 percent, or 68,600 people. Based on these numbers it is easy to see that the misuse of opioids is growing at an alarming rate and that serious measures need to be taken to help our Wisconsin residents who are battling opioid addictions.
 

Lincoln County Retired Educators Brunch

Gleason Lions Heritage Days

If you're looking for something to do this weekend head up to Gleason for their Gleason Lions Heritage Days! This is a free, two-day event that features 4x4 truck racing, tractor pulls, and much more. Look below for more details:

Location

Free admission. Food and beverage available on grounds. No carry-ins or glass on grounds.
 

Happy Father's Day

Father’s Day is this Sunday and is a day meant to honor fathers by enumerating their special qualities and showing appreciation for all their hard work.

Though the origins of Father's Day is often disputed, it is widely known that in 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson, through an executive order, designated the third Sunday in June as the official day to celebrate Father’s Day. However, it wasn’t until 1972, during the Nixon administration, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday.

I hope that we all take the time this Sunday to say 'Thank you' to all the wonderful fathers out there, whether they be yours biologically or not for all they have done.