Opioids have been plaguing our city for more than a decade. The drugs affect the user, their family, their friends and the community.

You can find support, resources and more information about opioids:

Opioid statistics
Recovery programs and education
Other resources
Safe needle disposal
Safe syringe and Narcan services
Steve's Law

Opioid use on the rise

• The opioid epidemic began in the 1990s with the overprescribing of prescriptions to treat pain. This led to the abuse of opioids and the growing number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses we see today.
• Four Minnesotans die each day from drug overdoses.
• Minneapolis opioid deaths from 2021 to 2022 increased by 24%.

Read about fentanyl from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Read about Minnesota's opioid epidemic from the Minnesota Department of Health

Overdoses

• In 2022, Minneapolis had 24 percent of the opioid deaths in the state
  • Minneapolis makes up 8 percent of the state's population.
• Fentanyl is the most common opioid being abused in our City. It’s a synthetic opioid approved for treating pain. It can be:
  • Up to 50 times stronger than heroin
  • 100 times stronger than morphine
• Illegally made fentanyl is linked to the increase in fatal and non-fatal overdoses.
• Three grains of salt are about how much fentanyl it takes to kill a person.

Treatment programs

The following is a directory of treatment programs for substance use disorder. 

• Allina Health
• Bethesda Clinic
• Broadway Family Medicine Clinic
• Community-University Health Care Center
• Greater Minneapolis Intergroup Alcoholics Anonymous 
• Hennepin Healthcare - Addiction 
• Indian Health Board

• Mercy Hospital - Unity Campus
• Minnesota Recovery Connection
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Native American Community Clinic
• NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center
• Specialized Treatment Services, inc.
• Valhalla Place
• White Earth Nation Substance Use Program

Education 

Understanding the dangers of opioids gives insight into helping your loved one. 

• Community-based Opioid Prevention and Education (C.O.P.E)
• It's Easy to Save a Life 
• Know the Dangers
• Minnesota Overdose Awareness
• Project Child - Hennepin County
• A Dose of Reality - Prevent Prescription Pain Killer Abuse 

Harm reduction 

Harm reduction is the practice of creating safe places for people with addiction use. 

• What harm reduction is and why is it important 
• Why Harm Reduction video

Culturally specific counseling

Information on culturally-specific programs

• Alliance Wellness Center LLC (Somali)
• Daryeel Somali Youth
• Hmong American Partnership
• Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (Native American women)
• Park Avenue Center Men/Women's program (African American)

Legal support

Find legal help for those dealing with drug-related criminal cases. 

• Justia Lawyers - Pro Bono and Legal Aid
• Steve's Law

Mental health resources

We have a list of mental health support resources.

• Mental health resources

Rule 25 - chemical use assessments

Rule 25 is a type of alcohol and/or drug assessment in Minnesota. The purpose of the rule 25 is to assess an individual’s substance use and determine if a person can be diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Substance use disorder is the medical term for alcoholism or drug addiction.

• Avivo
• Club Recovery LLC
• Northstar Behavioral Health
• Park Avenue Center
• Progress Valley

Professional needle disposal kits

We also created a professional safe needle pick-up kit. 

The pilot program offers a very limited number of free kits to residents. 

Five fire stations around the city will each carry five kits that will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis. 

Minneapolis fire station locations:

• Fire Station 2 – 143 13th Ave NE
• Fire Station 6 – 121 E 15th St
• Fire Station 7 – 2000 E Franklin Ave
• Fire Station 14 – 2002 Lowry Ave
• Fire Station 17 – 330 E 38th St

Learn about Safe Stations

Drop boxes

Syringe drop boxes are an effective way to decrease syringe litter. You can find drop boxes in neighborhoods around the city.

Picking up needles without proper training could be dangerous. If you come across syringes in your community or you need information on drop box locations, contact 311

Services provided

Safe syringe services provided by public health organizations include: 

• HIV and hepatitis C prevention and testing
• Naloxone kits and training
• Sterile syringes at no cost
• Referrals for substance abuse treatment and recovery support

Syringe exchange and free Narcan 

These organizations provide syringe services to area residents:

• Steve Rummler Hope Network: Naloxone Access Point (NAP) Program
• Find Narcan
• 555 Clinic
• NorthPoint: Harm reduction and testing services 
• Indigenous People's Task Force (IPTF)
• Rainbow Health 
• Red Door
• Rural AIDS Action Network (RAAN, Duluth)
• Southside Harm Reduction
• Steve Rummler Hope Network

Steve's Law

"Steve's Law" is Minnesota’s Good Samaritan and naloxone law. This law is named after Steve Rummler, who passed from an opioid overdose in 2011. 

Purpose

Steve’s Law provides limited protection from criminal prosecution. The law encourages those who witness overdoses to seek help. 

Surviving an opioid overdose depends on how quickly the person overdosing receives medical help. This includes the life-saving medication naloxone. 

In situations involving substance use, the fear of being arrested can prevent people from seeking or giving help. 

Resources

We’ve produced posters and flyers with information on Steve's Law to provide resources to community members.

View our resources