Minnesota’s Fight To Stop The Opioid Crisis

February 19, 2018 By: Alicia Haugh

Since 2000, overdoses in the state of Minnesota have increased by over 1,000 percent. 64,000 people died in the United States from opioids in 2016 alone. The struggle to stop the crisis in Minnesota is getting a kickstart this year with the proposed Opioid Family Recovery Act. The bill is cosponsored by Representative Dave Baker. His son Dan resorted to heroin usage when he couldn’t locate any prescription opioid painkillers. Dan died at the age of 25 from an opioid overdose. The Dan Baker Foundation was founded in 2011 in Dan’s memory.

His story is similar to that of many Minnesotans who have suffered losses due to the crisis.

The opioid antidote naloxone is key to reversing an overdose and getting it in the hands of first responders is critical to reducing the deaths caused by overdose. The Opioid Stewardship Fee will add funds to a state treasury account that can be used in part to purchase naloxone. Please join us at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 1, 2018 to support the Opioid Family Recovery Act.


To read more about Minnesota’s Opioid Crisis, check out this section at the Pioneer Press website.

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