Sawyer County Health and Human Services told the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on March 1 that emergency-department data revised earlier estimations and will drive the county's prevention focus for the coming year.

"From that data, we've been able to determine that the largest increase in calls for overdose occurred for males and females ages 18 to 24 years old," Joyce, the county public health representative, said. She said the department will target a public-education campaign to that age group and continue suicide-prevention education.

Joyce reported that combining emergency-department data with prior law-enforcement reports changed the apparent demographic patterns of overdoses. She said substance use was most prevalent in females 25 to 34 and males 35 to 44; females in some groups were twice as likely to be using methamphetamine. The county logged more than 170 alcohol overdoses in 2024; Joyce said nearly half of those cases also involved marijuana.

She told the council the emergency department indicated 25 cases last year that appeared to be THC-only overdoses and suggested those may be linked to high-concentration THC vape liquids used in edible products.

The county also reported a reduction in overdose deaths: "Our deaths were down 55 percent over the last 2 years," Joyce said; she said the state of Wisconsin experienced a 28 percent reduction in the same period. Joyce said the county will continue suicide education, noting suicidal ideation and substance use were highest among juveniles (females up to 17) and females ages 55 to 64, followed by males 35 to 44.

Joyce outlined planned school-based vaping education: sessions set for March 14 at the high school and middle school and March 19 at the winter school program. She said a peer-recovery joint response with JusticePoint peers is in development and that the county is coordinating with JusticePoint on deflection/diversion screening and services.

Council members recommended broad community outreach for prevention and suggested partnering with library summer programming to increase youth offerings. Joyce cautioned that HIPAA and the small size of the community require careful public messaging and that some figures are being presented as percentages rather than raw counts for privacy.

No formal budget vote for the public-health proposals was taken at this item; the opioid-settlement budget covering some recovery activities was approved elsewhere on the agenda.