Opioids in Minnesota: Series Takeaways

This month during National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, Essentia Health with Leighton Broadcasting and LAKES TV3 are bringing you a series to learn more about the opioid crises in our communities. What are opioids? Why is this happening? What can we do about it? How can we help? These are some of the questions we’re tackling in this series.

TAKEAWAYS ABOUT OPIOID USE IN MINNESOTA

The most important takeaways we want you to know about opioid use is that this is in OUR backyard…OUR communities… OUR small towns here in Minnesota…In fact, there basically isn’t an area in the U.S. that isn’t impacted by opioid use. And, it’s sadly a rapidly growing crisis. The introduction of synthetic opioids is extremely frightening and unknown for our future.

The reality is we aren’t going to stop everyone from never using drugs. So, we need to get people to use as safely, educated and informed as possible. And when a person is ready, that they know what resources are available to help them cut back and be able to achieve a life-long recovery.

Some important takeaways we’ve talked about in this series also include:

• Using Fentanyl test trips on a substance before use.

• Having Naloxone on hand to save lives from opioid overdose.

• Not using alone

• Knowing the Good Samaritan Law protects those who are trying to help in a crisis situation.

• and remembering Steve’s Law that can protect against legal ramifications for those who have to make the call for someone having an overdose where drugs are present.

• And, that there are medications available that make the process of cutting back use safer and easier to lead to long-term recovery.

No one should struggle with addiction alone. Get help if drugs and alcohol:

• Interfere with your daily activities

• Impact your quality of life

• Affect your physical and mental health

• Lead to withdrawal symptoms

• Affect your relationships

• Cause financial or legal problems

If you’re concerned about a loved one’s drug or alcohol use, it’s hard to hear but one of the first things you can do is have a conversation with them on how they can use safely. And, if they’re open to the idea of cutting back or wanting to stop using, connect them with local, recovery resources and encourage them to see their doctor to find out what program would work best for them.

It’s time to end the stigma that people choose to let a substance control their lives. It’s common to think ‘They should just stop Using’. It’s not that easy. It’s a disease and has been taking people away from our families and communities too early and for too long.

Millions of people are in recovery and are getting their lives back. It’s up to each of us to be aware, educated and involved in helping stop this crisis and more importantly, overdose deaths in the lakes area.

If you or a loved one is struggling with Opioid use, Essentia Health can help. Essentia Health’s team provides compassionate and personalized care for people using opioids. Call the Essentia Health 24/7 Substance Use Disorder Referral Line at 8330677-12-62 or visit EssentiaHealth.org/SubstanceUseDisorder to learn more.

To watch the full series, go to Lakestv3.com

This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-AR-BX-K003 awarded to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of IIR or of the U.S Department of Justice.