Minnesota Sees 18 Percent Jump In Non-Fatal Overdoses In 2020

ST. PAUL, MN — During the more than one-year stretch when Minnesota state health officials have been dealing with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, other medical crisis have remained in play — including struggles with opioids and other stimulants.

The Minnesota Department of Health announced Thursday that non-fatal overdoses jumped by 18 percent in 2020 as compared to the previous year. State health officials said that for every fatal overdose that took place, 14 non-fatal overdoses were reported, and that more than 14,000 Minnesotans were treated in hospitals for overdoses over the course of the year when he pandemic took hold.

The state reported 7,290 non-fatal overdoses in 2020 compared to 6,196 in 2019 and that opioids and other stimulants were involved in 57 percent of the cases, state health officials said Thursday.

“The report on nonfatal overdoses in Minnesota is a reminder that so many lives are tragically impacted by substance use,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a news release issued Thursday. “The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest public health issue in the world for almost two years now, but the other pressing public health issues have not gone away. The opioid epidemic continues to be pervasive and requires continuing, comprehensive drug overdose prevention and response efforts.”

Many of the overdose incidents were seen in communities of color, officials said, where systemic racism and other pressures contributed to the problem. The health department reported that American Indians were nine times as likely to experience a non-fatal overdose as a white resident. Black residents were three times as likely to overdose as white Minnesotans – a trend that remains concerning for state health officials.

“As with fatal overdose data, we see populations most impacted by systemic racism are more often affected by substance use,” Minnesota Department of Health Overdose Prevention Supervisor Dana Farley said in the release. “Recovery has a greater chance of success when communities are involved.

"Systemic racism and lack of access to recovery resources hinders recovery efforts for many Minnesotans. The Minnesota Department of Health is working to amplify the work of our community partners who provide needed support for people in their recovery journey.”