The next public health crisis is opioid use among senior citizens.
The Department of Health Services and Department of Justice are responding with a campaign to raise awareness of the risks of these drugs and the signs of danger. It will be unveiled Monday in Madison during the first meeting of Wisconsin’s Elder Abuse Task Force.
In 2016, more than 4,000 Wisconsin residents aged 55 or older were hospitalized for opioid dependence or prescription opioid poisoning. During the same time period, there were almost 1,000 emergency ambulance runs on Wisconsin residents aged 55 or older for suspected, unintentional opioid overdoses.