Part of Madison's 2012 budget includes funding to combat Dane County's heroin epidemic, Mayor Paul Soglin said Wednesday.
Funding for a collaborative effort to fight heroin is ""one of few new initiatives"" in the budget, according to Soglin.
""We're viewing this as one of the most serious health problems in our community,"" Soglin told The Daily Cardinal.
In what the Madison Police Department calls an ""epidemic,"" illegal opiate usage and related crimes have increased throughout Dane County in past years, reflecting nationwide trends.
According to Soglin, there are two sides to the crisis. Deaths and hospitalizations are only half the crisis. The other side of the problem is out-of-town users who travel to Madison, buy from dealers and then drive while under the influence, causing several recent car accidents.
Addressing the problems will be ""a collaborative effort that crosses jurisdictional boundaries,"" Soglin said.
But both the mayor and MPD officials agree the problem cannot be fixed through arrests alone.
""There's got to be an educational component,"" Soglin said.
National studies show addiction often begins by legally taking prescribed painkillers. When doctors recognize signs of addiction, they cut off the medication, leading some patients to self-medicate through illegal opiates, like heroin.
Part of Madison's initiative will include engaging the medical community about the use of prescribed medications that can act as bridges to heroin use.
Because the city budget has yet to be finalized, the initiative is still in its organizational phase. Further details on the plan will be revealed when Soglin unveils the city budget Tuesday.
