Public Health Madison & Dane County issued an overdose spike alert this week after a cluster of emergency calls in a single day. Several of the people involved reported using cocaine, yet their symptoms looked like an opioid overdose. If someone you love uses any street drug, that detail matters more than the headline.
On October 27, 2026, Public Health Madison & Dane County issued an overdose spike alert after EMS responded to at least five overdose incidents in less than 24 hours on October 26. Several people reported using cocaine, but their symptoms were consistent with opioids. Officials say the local drug supply may have changed and the cause is not yet known.
The alert was based on data from local EMS providers, and the agency described the cluster as more overdoses than it usually sees. WMTV reported that all five were confirmed opioid overdoses, that EMS data suggests all five people became responsive, and that two of the five happened at the same location. Officials said it was too early to know whether the cases are connected.
Many families carry a quiet assumption: their loved one “only” uses cocaine, so the fentanyl crisis is someone else’s problem. This alert is a direct challenge to that belief. When a person who thinks they took a stimulant stops breathing like someone who took an opioid, the most likely explanation is that the drug was not what they thought it was.
That is the danger of an unpredictable supply. A person with no opioid tolerance is far more vulnerable to fentanyl than someone who uses opioids regularly. And because the trend in Dane County is mixed, with overall overdose deaths down 29% in 2025 according to early Public Health data reported by WMTV, but stimulant-related deaths tripling over the last year, good annual numbers can hide a rising risk for one specific group of people.
Public Health supervisor Julia Olsen told WMTV, “Always test the drugs with a fentanyl test strip.” WMTV noted that the alert landed just ahead of Halloween weekend and its large crowds.
“Families tell us all the time that their loved one would never touch opioids. I believe them. The problem is that the person using does not get to decide what is in the bag. An alert like this one is a reason to stop waiting and start talking about a plan.”
Brad Garraway, NCIP, NCRC, Founder, Clear Path Intervention
Public Health Madison & Dane County lists these signs. Any one of them is an emergency, even if you believe the person used a stimulant:
Pale, sweaty, or clammy skin.
Lips or fingertips turning blue.
Slow or irregular breathing, including gasping, gurgling, or snoring sounds.
Hard to wake, or not waking at all.
If you see these signs, call 911 and give naloxone. Public Health advises being prepared to give more than one dose. If you are unsure whether it is an overdose, give naloxone anyway; it will not harm someone who has not taken opioids.
One
Get naloxone and test strips, free. The Public Health Syringe Services Program offers both at 2705 E. Washington Ave. and 2300 S. Park St. in Madison. WMTV reports they are also available at vending machines and clinics around the county with no questions asked.
Two
Sign up for spike alerts. Public Health Madison & Dane County sends overdose spike alerts by email or text. Knowing when the supply shifts gives you a reason to check in.
Three
Have the direct conversation. Tell your loved one about the alert in plain terms. Our guide on talking to someone in active addiction can help you find the words without starting a fight.
Four
Find local treatment options. The Behavioral Health Resource Center of Dane County, (608) 267-2244, connects residents with treatment and recovery resources.
Harm reduction keeps people alive today. It does not, by itself, move someone toward treatment. If your loved one has had a close call, keeps using despite promises to stop, or refuses to talk about it, that is often the point where families benefit from outside help. Our guides on signs a loved one needs an intervention and why rock bottom is a dangerous myth explain why waiting rarely makes the conversation easier.
A professionally led intervention is designed for a person who is not asking for help. The family prepares together, a treatment placement is arranged in advance, and an experienced interventionist guides the conversation. You can read how it works in what is a professional intervention.
“When a Wisconsin family calls after news like this, we start with what is happening in their home right now. Who is using, what they are using, and how worried everyone is. From there we talk honestly about whether an intervention fits and what the next few days could look like.”
Chip Burson, Director of Operations, Clear Path Intervention
EMS responded to at least five overdose incidents in less than 24 hours on October 26, 2026, which Public Health Madison & Dane County said is more than it usually sees. The alert was issued on October 27.
Cocaine itself is a stimulant, but street cocaine can contain fentanyl or other opioids. In this alert, several people reported cocaine use yet showed opioid overdose symptoms, which suggests the supply may contain opioids. Someone without opioid tolerance is especially vulnerable.
The Public Health Madison & Dane County Syringe Services Program at 2705 E. Washington Ave. and 2300 S. Park St. in Madison provides both. They are also available at vending machines and clinics in the county.
Call 911 in an emergency. Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For local treatment resources, call the Behavioral Health Resource Center of Dane County at (608) 267-2244. To talk with an interventionist about a loved one, call Clear Path Intervention at (850) 563-9776.
Clear Path Intervention works with families in Madison, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and every community in between. Learn more about our professional interventionists in Wisconsin, or call (850) 563-9776 for a confidential conversation.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
This article is for education and is not medical advice. Clear Path Intervention does not accept compensation from treatment centers. See our editorial policy.
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