Dose of Reality

Posted on: January 5th, 2016 by Robert Ingraham

Back in September the State Department of Justice began their statewide “Dose of Reality” campaign to bring more attention to opiate overdoses and addictions to this chemical, either by using heroin or abusing prescription drugs.

Now with some funds in place, several local entities are coming together to begin a localized effort.  This will include Sheboygan County departments, law enforcement, schools, and health care providers.

Sheriff Todd Priebe says the effort will be two-pronged.  One is to bring attention to those who are suffering from addiction. They can fall into two groups, ones that have struggled with addiction throughout their life, and those who become addicted after taking prescribed pain medication.

Liz Abler, Public Health Nurse with the Sheboygan County Department of Health and Human Services, says addiction comes from the effect of the drug on a person’s brain. Part of the problem did come from the wide use of prescribing pain medication by doctors in the 1990s.

The second approach the local program will do is bring added attention to how family and friends of those suffering from an addiction.  Priebe says that people have the misconception that they can’t do anything, but indeed they can when it comes to starting the detox process.

The official start of the local “Dose of Reality” program will begin in January.