MILWAUKEE -- There has been a spike in deaths related to Fentanyl across Milwaukee County.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, there have been 19 deaths related to Fentanyl since Dec. 28, 2015.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Fentanyl is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery.
A spokesperson with the medical examiner's office said of the 19 deaths, none appear to be related to the misuse of a Fentanyl patch, but are from the illicit use of controlled substances and poly-drug abuse.
The 19 deaths are broken down as follows:
- Milwaukee - 14
- Franklin - 2
- Cudahy - 2
- West Allis - 1
The medical examiner's office said they investigated 28 Fentanyl deaths in 2015 and 16 in 2014.
