As Baldwin calls attention to fentanyl crisis ahead of SOTU, community efforts to cut down on deaths continue

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson was one of the guests in attendance at the State of the Union Thursday night, March 7.

Thompson was the guest of Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin. Both wanted President Biden to use his address to highlight the worsening opioid and fentanyl crisis.

Awareness and education top the wish list for Baldwin and Thompson, who say they've seen firsthand the devastating effects of opioid addiction.

Speaking together from Washington ahead of the State of the Union address, the two shared what they think can help slow the march of the deadly crisis.

Here at home, community advocates are carrying out that work, one person at a time.

Once a month, Jess Brost of Addiction Resource Council restocks the vending machine at downtown Waukesha's Alano Club.

She told us, "About 30 kits every month we go through."

Each month, the kits are taken home, potentially saving a life.

Brost said, "Right now we should be expecting everything has fentanyl in it."

She also trains people how to administer Narcan.

She says she's trained thousands of people over the past few years, helping cut down on the stigma surrounding addiction. "A big struggle that we're seeing is just education, education, education. That this is a thing and it happens. Lots of people don't think it will happen to them, but unfortunately sometimes things do happen."

In 2022, more than 1400 Wisconsinites died from opioid overdoses. Many of those included fentanyl.

More communities have made Narcan available in free vending machines, and applying the medication is as simple as one spray.

But as Senator Tammy Baldwin tours the state, she says it's getting worse.

She said Thursday, "The crisis knows no bounds."

Baldwin's guest at the State of the Union is Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson.

He said he's already lost an officer because of the crisis, "Not by death, but the trauma of them being exposed to it, and them having to receive treatments. They ended up leaving this profession."

On Thursday, Baldwin and Thompson called for more support, tools, fentanyl test strips, and training to keep first responders safe.

Thompson said, "What I want from our President is to actually take those steps and say, 'We are going to be involved and this is not talk, these are actions.'"

While they wait for top-down solutions, fighters like Jess Brost continue trying to win battles on the ground.

Brost said, "What we need is more people talking about it. Destigmatizing it. As well as support behind people who might be seeking recovery."

Click here for more information on Narcan training at the Alano Club in Waukesha.