Drug and Alcohol Detox Guide For Watertown, Wisconsin
Waterton is a mid-sized city in southern Wisconsin, located about an hour’s drive west of Milwaukee. It is divided between Dodge and Jefferson Counties, though well over half of city residents reside in the latter. The population has declined a little in recent years, but Watertown currently boasts a population of 22,784. And while the city initially struggled to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, the local economy has largely recovered, with a median household income of $67,189 (still below the state median of $72,458) and a poverty rate of 8.2% (also below the state average of 10.7%). [1]
Despite the economic rebound, Waterton and the surrounding area have been a hotbed for drug and alcohol abuse. In fact, Jefferson County is one of the worst areas in the state for opioid deaths, while Dodge County has seen a recent spike in opioid overdoses requiring emergency room care. For both counties, the city of Waterton is one of the primary contributors to the ongoing substance abuse crisis.
Fortunately, with clinics like Midwest Detox just 45 minutes away in nearby Brookfield, Watertown 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 Watertown, Wisconsin, and are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, you should not hesitate to contact professionals as soon as possible. Just one phone call could mean the difference between life and death. However, we understand that starting the recovery process is not always easy.
Continue reading to learn more about the current substance abuse crisis in Watertown, and the resources available to help residents fight addiction.
The Ongoing Substance Abuse Crisis in Watertown
In Wisconsin, substance abuse cases are collected at the county level. Since the city of Watertown is split between Dodge County and Jefferson County, it can get a little complicated to keep track of the number of cases in the city itself. Nonetheless, reviewing county-level data helps provide an overview of substance abuse in the region.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, both Dodge County and Jefferson County have seen significant increases in alcohol-related hospitalizations, as well as a less constant increase in overdose deaths involving alcohol over the past few years. [2] [3] You can see a full breakdown of these statistics in the tables below:
| Alcohol Statistics in Dodge County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 378 | 335 | 14 |
| 2015 | 389 | 369 | 19 |
| 2016 | 425 | 419 | 23 |
| 2017 | 393 | 404 | 26 |
| 2018 | 400 | 419 | 23 |
| 2019 | 369 | 438 | 28 |
| 2020 | 375 | 407 | 23 |
| 2021 | 396 | 462 | 30 |
| 2022 | N/A | N/A | 25 |
| Alcohol Statistics in Jefferson County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 386 | 306 | 15 |
| 2015 | 397 | 269 | 17 |
| 2016 | 421 | 336 | 18 |
| 2017 | 459 | 331 | 28 |
| 2018 | 397 | 329 | 20 |
| 2019 | 422 | 400 | 17 |
| 2020 | 422 | 438 | 22 |
| 2021 | 491 | 437 | 26 |
| 2022 | N/A | N/A | 21 |
As you can see from the tables above, the statistics differ somewhat in Dodge and Jefferson Counties. Between 2014 and 2021, Dodge saw an increase in alcohol emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations of 4.7% and 37.9%, respectively. Jefferson County recorded an increase in alcohol emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations of 27.25 and 42.8% over the same period. It’s important to point out that while Jefferson County records more alcohol emergency room visits, Dodge County records more alcohol inpatient hospitalizations.
In both counties, alcohol-attributable deaths vary from year to year. That said, there was an overall increase in deaths between 2014 and 2022. Dodge saw an increase of 78.5%, while Jefferson saw an increase of 40%. Alcohol-attributable deaths peaked in Dodge County in 2021 (30 deaths), and in Jefferson County in 2017 (28 deaths).
Opioids are also heavily abused in the region, though the statistics are substantially different between Dodge and Jefferson. [4] [5] You can see the annual figures for opioid abuse in Dodge and Jefferson Counties in the tables below:
| Opioid Statistics in Dodge County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 20 | 23 | 7 |
| 2015 | 55 | 24 | 15 |
| 2016 | 58 | 32 | 19 |
| 2017 | 55 | 26 | 16 |
| 2018 | 48 | 26 | 20 |
| 2019 | 43 | 21 | 16 |
| 2020 | 39 | 12 | 27 |
| 2021 | 37 | 22 | 16 |
| 2022 | 32 | 13 | 23 |
| Opioid Statistics in Jefferson County | |||
| Year | Emergency Room Visits | Inpatient Hospitalizations | Deaths |
| 2014 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
| 2015 | 24 | 17 | 7 |
| 2016 | 29 | 18 | 9 |
| 2017 | 39 | 21 | 18 |
| 2018 | 37 | 17 | 10 |
| 2019 | 41 | 12 | 15 |
| 2020 | 41 | 17 | 15 |
| 2021 | 48 | 10 | 12 |
| 2022 | 40 | 13 | 14 |
Between 2014 and 2022, Dodge County saw a 60% increase in opioid emergency room visits and a decrease of 43.4% in opioid inpatient hospitalizations. Over the same period, Jefferson County saw a 263.65% increase in opioid emergency room visits and a 0% increase in opioid inpatient hospitalizations (though the figures still varied from year to year). And while both counties saw an increase in opioid deaths, this figure increased by 228.5% in Dodge County and just 27.2% in Jefferson County.
Both counties also see fairly high case numbers related to drugs other than alcohol and opioids. For example, both Dodge and Jefferson record an average annual death rate of 5.5 per 100,000 as a result of heroin. However, Dodge County tends to have more substance abuse cases related to stimulants like cocaine and meth than Jefferson County. [6]
So what does all of this mean for the city of Watertown? The truth is that Watertown doesn’t keep track of its own substance abuse records, and its population is divided between Dodge and Jefferson Counties. Approximately 64% of the population resides in Jefferson County, while the remaining 36% resides in Dodge County. Despite the complexity of Watertown’s substance abuse data, local coroner’s reports and the available city-level records indicate that Watertown accounts for nearly 55% of the substance abuse cases in Jefferson County and 23% of the cases in Dodge County.
How Watertown Compares to the Rest of Wisconsin
The city of Watertown accounts for a relatively small percentage of the state’s substance abuse cases, but Dodge and Jefferson County are still worse off than most other counties in the state when it comes to substance abuse in general. Dodge ranks as the 23rd worst county in the state for alcohol emergency room visits and the 18th worst county for alcohol inpatient hospitalizations (out of 72) counties. Similarly, Jefferson ranks as the 18th worst county in Wisconsin for alcohol emergency room visits and the 20th worst state for alcohol inpatient hospitalizations.
However, Dodge and Jefferson do a slightly better job at preventing alcohol overdose deaths, since Dodge ranks as the 39th worst county in the state for alcohol-attributable deaths, and Jefferson ranks as the 28th worst county for the same statistic. That said, these figures are not as promising when compared to the rest of the country, since Wisconsin is one of the worst states in the nation for binge drinking. [7]
While Dodge and Jefferson Counties generally see higher rates of opioid hospitalizations than the state average, the rate of deaths is lower in both counties. In 2021, Wisconsin recorded an annual rate of 24.6 opioid deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 17.9 in Dodge County and 14.2 in Jefferson County.
To get a more accurate picture of substance abuse at the local level and see how it compares to the rest of the state, let’s look at some of the most recent findings related to overdoses and deaths in Watertown, Wisconsin:
- Annual Overdoses: 296
- Alcohol-Related Deaths: 17
- Opioid-Related Deaths: 12
- Non-Opioid Drug-Related Deaths: 3
Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Efforts in Watertown
Watertown offers a family resource guide for residents that has contact information for various programs related to substance abuse, including local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups. However, it does not have any of its own programs to help prevent deaths or treat those struggling with addiction. Instead, it relies on programs managed at the county and state levels.
Dodge County offers the Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program, the Community Support Program (CSP), the Targeted Case Management (TCM) program, and the Wraparound program for mental health support and substance abuse management. Jefferson County also offers CCS and CSP, as well as a plethora of smaller initiatives to cover a variety of needs in the community, from educational programs for teens to Mental Health & AODA units to provide treatment options for local residents in need.
As a complement to these programs, Wisconsin runs the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA), which manages dozens of programs and initiatives across the state. Watertown residents also seek out help from detox clinics like Midwest Detox, as well as quality inpatient rehab clinics like Wellbrook Recovery.
Drug and Alcohol Detox in Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown is a beautiful city that benefits from its proximity to larger cities like Madison and Milwaukee. In spite of its beauty and the improving economy, Watertown is still struggling to fight back the addiction crisis. There are many local programs to help those in need, but they’ve proven ineffective at substantially reducing the number of substance abuse cases and deaths. As a result, the people of Watertown are in desperate need of more comprehensive treatment and support.
Fortunately, there is help close by. Midwest Detox is a private detox clinic in Brookfield, just a 45-minute drive from Watertown. At Midwest Detox, we provide top-notch care and attention to everyone who walks through our doors. You can safely and comfortably detox from drugs or alcohol at our modern facility, while also learning the skills you need to continue your recovery for the long term.
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.