Drug and Alcohol Detox Guide For Franklin, Wisconsin
Franklin is a large city on the outskirts of Milwaukee, known for its natural beauty, including miles of dense forests and beautiful shores along the Root River. A part of Milwaukee County, the city of Franklin has a population of 36,066, making it a relatively small segment of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area. However, it also happens to be one of the most affluent cities in the state, with a median household income of $100,524, which is roughly 38% higher than the state median. Franklin also has a low poverty rate of 5.6%, especially when compared to Wisconsin’s poverty rate of 10.7%. [1]
While wealthy cities often see lower rates of substance abuse than cities with high poverty rates, Franklin is an exception. For years, Franklin residents have struggled with substance abuse, particularly abuse of alcohol and opioids. Fortunately, with clinics like Midwest Detox nearby, Franklin residents can begin their recovery journey with the assistance of trained professionals. This way, they have a much better chance of getting sober and staying sober for good.
If you or a loved one live in Franklin, Wisconsin, and are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, you should consider seeking out professional help as soon as possible. It could mean the difference between life and death. That said, we understand that starting the recovery process is not always easy.
Continue reading to learn more about the current substance abuse crisis in Franklin, and the resources available to help residents fight addiction.
The Ongoing Substance Abuse Crisis in Franklin
Franklin’s substance abuse cases are recorded at the county level. Since Milwaukee County is the most populous county in Wisconsin and also has some of the worst rates of substance abuse in Wisconsin, it’s difficult to separate Franklin’s cases from the rest of the county. However, it’s still important to understand how substance abuse affects all of Milwaukee County to get a better understanding of the ongoing crisis in Franklin.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Milwaukee County’s alcohol hospitalizations have been in decline since peaking in 2018, while annual alcohol-attributable deaths have nearly doubled since 2014. [2] [3] You can see a full breakdown of these statistics in the table below:
| Alcohol Statistics in Milwaukee County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 9,743 | 7,102 | 280 |
| 2015 | 10,642 | 7,865 | 306 |
| 2016 | 10,671 | 8,239 | 350 |
| 2017 | 11,729 | 8,257 | 370 |
| 2018 | 14,567 | 8,335 | 350 |
| 2019 | 9,719 | 8,015 | 354 |
| 2020 | 8,708 | 7,659 | 475 |
| 2021 | 8,146 | 7,597 | 498 |
| 2022 | N/A | N/A | 525 |
As you can see from the table above, alcohol emergency room visits are extremely high in Milwaukee County, though they have been in decline for the past few years. Inpatient hospitalizations have followed a similar trajectory, though the figures did not see the same spike in the mid-2010s. Between 2014 and 2022, alcohol-attributable deaths increased by a staggering 87.5%. It’s not entirely clear why alcohol emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations have seen such drastic changes since 2014, while deaths have consistently risen over the same time period. However, based on preliminary data, these trends are likely to continue in 2023.
While they are abused far less often than alcohol, opioids are the second-most abused substance in Milwaukee County. [4] [5] You can see the annual figures for opioid abuse in Milwaukee County in the table below:
| Opioid Statistics in Milwaukee County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 472 | 458 | 212 |
| 2015 | 651 | 504 | 218 |
| 2016 | 798 | 483 | 288 |
| 2017 | 1,011 | 490 | 301 |
| 2018 | 790 | 337 | 289 |
| 2019 | 797 | 342 | 326 |
| 2020 | 869 | 323 | 427 |
| 2021 | 729 | 314 | 522 |
| 2022 | 621 | 292 | 538 |
Opioid emergency room visits increased by 31.5% between 2014 and 2022 in Milwaukee County, while opioid inpatient hospitalizations decreased by 36.2% over the same period. This inverse relationship between emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations is often an indication of a more widespread substance abuse crisis, as fewer people are seeking out care while more people are requiring emergency assistance to treat overdoses. This is also evident in the number of opioid deaths in Milwaukee County, which has risen by 153.7% since 2014.
Milwaukee County also sees annual deaths from drugs other than alcohol and prescription opioids. Every year, there are approximately 12.5 heroin deaths per 100,000 residents in Milwaukee County. And while abuse of stimulants like meth is relatively uncommon in larger, more densely populated counties like Milwaukee, cocaine abuse is relatively common. In fact, Milwaukee County sees about 20.5 cocaine deaths per 100,000 residents every year. [6]
It’s important to remember that the city of Franklin is just a small part of Milwaukee County. The county boasts a population of 918,661, which means that Franklin only accounts for 3.92% of the population. Though the exact figures are unknown, it is estimated that Franklin contributes about 2.6% of the substance abuse cases recorded at the county level. This does mean that Franklin is better off than many other cities in the county (particularly Milwaukee), but it also means that Franklin sees a higher number of substance abuse deaths and hospitalizations than many other cities of comparable size in the state of Wisconsin.
How Franklin Compares to the Rest of Wisconsin
Franklin is not the worst city in the state for substance abuse, but it’s also not the best. Its close proximity to the city of Milwaukee means that street drugs are readily available to residents who want them. At the same time, alcohol is commonly abused in the city, as it is in most cities in the state. Wisconsin is one of the worst states in the country for alcohol abuse, with roughly 1 in 4 adults binge drinking regularly, [7] and Milwaukee County is among the worst counties in the state for over-indulging in alcohol.
Milwaukee County records an average rate of 73.5 alcohol-attributable deaths per 100,000 residents. This is well above the state average of 55 deaths per 100,000 residents and makes Milwaukee County the 10th worst county in the state for alcohol deaths. Milwaukee is also the worst county overall for alcohol emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations.
The outlook is not much better when evaluating opioid abuse in Milwaukee County. The county sees roughly 81.4 opioid emergency room visits per 100,000 residents, compared to the state average of 54.5. The gap between opioid inpatient hospitalizations in the county and the rest of Wisconsin is similarly large: an average of 35.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in Milwaukee County and just 19.5 in all of Wisconsin. The rate of opioid deaths in Milwaukee County (54.9 per 100,000) is more than double the state average (24.6 per 100,000).
Once again, all of this data is not only attributable to the city of Franklin. This makes it especially important to evaluate all available resources to determine exactly how many substance abuse cases actually occur in Franklin. To get a more accurate picture of the direct impact of substance abuse at the city level, let’s look at some of the most recent findings related to overdoses and deaths in Franklin, Wisconsin:
- Annual Overdoses: 147
- Alcohol-Related Deaths: 16
- Opioid-Related Deaths: 14
- Non-Opioid Drug-Related Deaths: 2
Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Efforts in Franklin
As an affluent city in Milwaukee County, Franklin has more resources than many other mid-sized cities to combat the ongoing substance abuse crisis. The city makes substance abuse a focal point of its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The Franklin City Police Department offers a 24-hour prescription drug collection service, while the city has been celebrated for Volition Franklin, a program that helps reduce teen substance abuse via educational resources.
Milwaukee County offers several addiction treatment resources via the Community Access to Recovery Services (CARS). As a complement to these city and county programs, Wisconsin runs the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA), which manages dozens of programs and initiatives across the state. Franklin residents seek out help from detox clinics like Midwest Detox, as well as quality inpatient rehab clinics like Wellbrook Recovery.
Drug and Alcohol Detox in Franklin, Wisconsin
Franklin is a truly amazing city with lots of natural beauty, a thriving economy, and easy access to Milwaukee. However, these benefits have not stopped the addiction epidemic from reaching the local residents of the city. Every year, dozens of individuals and families living in Franklin struggle with addiction, and while the city does an excellent job of making programs available to those who need them, it doesn’t offer direct treatment options to its people. For this reason, it is vital that the residents of Franklin have access to inpatient treatment programs.
Fortunately, there is help close by. Midwest Detox is a private detox clinic in nearby Brookfield (just a 23-minute drive from Franklin) that offers the best possible care to Wisconsinites fighting addiction. At Midwest Detox, we have experienced staff and comfortable, peaceful facilities in which to detoxify and begin the road to recovery. Not only can we help you or a loved one detox in a safe environment, but we can also teach you the skills you need to continue your recovery in rehab and beyond.
When it comes to addiction, there is no time like the present. So, if you or someone you love is in need of drug or alcohol detox, reach out to Midwest Detox today and begin your journey to recovery.