MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) - Northeastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (NEWAHEC) hosted a session to educate the community about overdoses and how to reverse them using Narcan. The initiative aims to further inform the community on how to recognize an overdose and respond properly. Luxury Green Bay apartment complex construction begins, local businesses remain open Overdoses are increasing rapidly each day, with fentanyl being a major factor. Jennifer Gleichner, a nurse with the Manitowoc Health Department and organizer of the event, emphasized breaking the stigma surrounding overdoses. “I think the most important thing for us is to reduce that stigma—that overdoses aren’t always intentional; in fact, most times they are not—and that it can happen to anyone from any walk of life for a variety of reasons,” Gleichner said. Business leaders received hands-on training with a test dummy to practice administering Narcan. They also received overdose prevention bags filled with Narcan and testing strips to take back to their establishments. “Just like you would have an AED at your business in case somebody was having a heart attack, having Narcan at your business is another piece of mind, knowing that if it’s ever needed, it’s there and ready to go,” said Joey DeBone, QPS sales executive. “It’s easy to train people on how to use it. It’s definitely a peace-of-mind thing.” NEWAHEC will soon have a new vending machine outside its offices. The 24/7 accessible vending machine will contain Narcan along with fentanyl testing strips. Holiday Lights on the Fox returns for 2024 at Brown County Fairgrounds “We will be the first public health vending machine,” said Kari Mueller, executive director of NEWAHEC. “Narcan is accessible through the health department at any time, but this will be the first point of accessibility 24/7.” In 2023, Manitowoc County reported 34 nonfatal overdoses and 13 fatal overdoses. Nearly 80,000 overdoses occur across the United States each day, including 1,500 in Wisconsin, with nearly four deaths per day.