The announcement of a Narcan vending machine in the City of Sturgeon Bay and the news of Monday’s arrests may have introduced you to a growing concern in Door County you did not know existed.

Three Sturgeon Bay women were arrested earlier this week after the Door County Drug Task Force seized 16 fentanyl pills, a variety of drug paraphernalia, and numerous electronic devices while executing a search warrant. The search warrant was triggered by the report of a Sturgeon Bay man in need of treatment after overdosing on fentanyl.

Fentanyl is nothing new for Door County after it seized over 300 grams of the highly addictive drug last year. The Door County Sheriff’s Department has had three drug investigations involving fentanyl so far this year, compared to five in 2022, seven in 2021, and zero in 2020. Chief Deputy Pat McCarty says the addictive nature of the drugs and how easily they can be masked is what is keeping deputies busy as they target the people trying to sell it.

He added that every deputy now carries Narcan with them just in case they encounter an overdosed individual while on a call. McCarty says 2023 has also seen an increase in methamphetamines-related investigations in Door County as they have already 13 so far this year, compared to zero in 2022, seven in 2021, and 11 in 2020. Drug investigations are dependent on cooperating informants to be successful.

Door County Administrator Ken Pabich expressed his concern with the rise in drug cases to U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin during a roundtable discussion in Sturgeon Bay on Wednesday. Since it is often the county’s responsibility to treat the individuals if they have a drug problem, Pabich said it could cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars for each person to treat them.