Drug and Alcohol Rehab for Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Historical Oshkosh and substance abuse
Oshkosh, Wisconsin is a beautiful lakeside city, bordered to the west by Lake Butte des Morts and to the east by Lake Winnebago. The Fox River connects the two bodies of water and runs right through the middle of Oshkosh. This makes the city a very picturesque place to live and raise a family. However, economic woes have caused a decline in the average household income and an increase in poverty rates. These issues have only exacerbated the ongoing addiction crisis sweeping through Oshkosh, Winnebago County, and the rest of Wisconsin.
The city of Oshkosh has an increasingly troubling relationship with substance abuse, particularly where alcohol and opioids are concerned. While there are many cities and counties throughout the state with worse statistics, Oshkosh continues to see a rising number of hospitalizations as a direct result of addiction. The proliferation of drugs like fentanyl has only exacerbated the problem, and the city’s inability to stem the tide of substance abuse puts greater pressure on resources provided by the county and state.
Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. While the city of Oshkosh focuses more on punishing drug crimes than treating addiction, there are ways for Oshkosh residents to get compassionate help. More specifically, Wellbrook Recovery is a quality residential rehab that offers a safe, comfortable, and private environment in which Oshkosh locals can recover from addiction in peace.
And while going to rehab is a vital step on the path to recovery, it’s also important to understand how substance abuse affects your friends, family, and community at large. Continue reading to learn more about substance abuse in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the resources available to help you on your journey.
Substance Abuse In Oshkosh Information
The city’s population has steadily grown from about 56,000 in 1990 to over 66,000 as of 2021. It serves as the county seat of Winnebago County (population 171,000) and is the 9th largest city in Wisconsin. Since most of the data related to substance abuse is collected at the state and county level, it can be challenging to determine the extent of the ongoing crisis within Oshkosh. Nonetheless, the data coming out of Winnebago County is still vitally important and extremely useful in understanding the state of addiction in Oshkosh.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Winnebago County recorded 96 deaths from alcohol abuse in 2021. In 2014, there were just 58 deaths. This means that, in a span of just 7 years, Winnebago County saw a 65.5% increase in the number of annual alcohol-related deaths. However, it is important to note that this figure declined from its peak during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the county recording 84 deaths caused by alcohol abuse in 2022 alone. [1]