MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- National Harm Reduction Day is this Friday, June 12, a campaign across the U.S. to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use. 

Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services is taking on its first 1,000 Doors Challenge to showcase the approximately two dozen harm reduction vending machines throughout the county. They're partnering with about 20 agencies, which will each knock on about 50 doors, providing free resources and information to residents within a 10-block radius of the vending machines. 

"This is not an issue for somebody to solve; this is an issue that we all have the power to solve together," shared Jeremy Triblett, the prevention integration manager for Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.

Resources available from the Milwaukee County Health & Human Services Department CBS 58

The issue is people dying from overdoses at alarming rates in Milwaukee County. Data shows there were over 5,000 people in 2023. It also showed that Black men, ages 18-34, had the highest count of overdoses. 

"The problem is that there's a lack of education around substance use issues and a lack of activation of people getting involved," explained Triblett. "We want to solve both of those problems by going into the communities and telling those communities, 'Did you know you have resources in a10-block radius, and these resources can help people using and overdosing?'" 

We can do this. We have been doing this. It's been successful because we started doing this together, not separately" -- Jeremy Triblett

You might know harm reduction as wearing seatbelts or helmets. But for substance use, that can be Narcan, Naloxone, de-activation bags, or fentanyl test strips.

While Milwaukee County officials in the long term would want to stop drug addiction, they want to first focus on reducing overdose deaths so people can survive and get the help they need.

"We're asking people who use to use a little bit differently to pivot a little bit and take one more step to see another day," Triblett said. 

The free resources were purchased using money received in the opioid settlement fund. You can find the Harm Reduction Vending Machine nearest you by using this link. 

Friday's 1,000 Door Challenge will wrap up with a free resource fair from 2-5 p.m. at the Washington Park Senior Center.