News

Two more Minnesotans have died from vaping-related lung illnesses, raising the state’s toll to three and prompting health officials to issue new warnings about vaping illegal cannabis substances. Read More. 

All third-year medical students are required to learn how to use the drug naloxone, which counters the effects of an opioid overdose. Read More. 

An opioid epidemic on the rise in Northland and it’s also hitting high schools. A program called “Change the Outcome,” is working to raise awareness and educate students about drug abuse. Read More. 

The opioid crisis cost the U.S. economy $631 billion from 2015 through last year – and it may keep getting more expensive, according to a study released Tuesday by the Society of Actuaries. Read More. 

For all the deaths brought on by prescription opioids, the nation is now in what analysts call a third wave. The United States has moved from a health crisis driven by prescription drugs, to one driven by heroin, and now, by synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. Read More. 

Although opioid prescriptions in the U.S. have fallen, opioid overdose deaths – 47,000 in 2018 – remain at historic levels. The continued spread of fentanyl and other illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids suggest the problem could still get worse. Read More. 

Authorities are investigating an overdose involving a 1-year-old child. It happened last week in St. Louis Park. Read More. 

“Sesame Street” is continuing its effort to help kids navigate more complex life issues by tackling the opioid crisis. Karli, a green Muppet with two yellow pigtails, was introduced in May as a character in foster care who still has a relationship with her biological mother. Read More. 

Children are often called the hidden casualties of the opioid epidemic. They carry a lot of secrets and shame. The majority of children at Camp Mariposa in Dayton, Ohio, have parents who are addicted to opioids…All of these children have experienced trauma, sometimes abuse and neglect, and a growing number are in foster care. These children often struggle to reconcile the loving parents they remember with who they have become. Read More. 

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will receive more than $1.1 million in federal grant money to put toward drug enforcement, including efforts to curb the spread of opioids and heroin in the state. Read More.