MN Overdose Drops 17% From 2017 to 2018

MINNESOTA – The North Star State saw a big drop in drug overdose deaths in 2018.

Preliminary statewide data shows that overdose deaths dropped 17% from 733 in 2017 to 607 last year.

Officials say the numbers are promising, but that overdose deaths remain at historic highs and more work needs to be done to prevent and treat substance abuse.

Heroin deaths and deaths involving prescription opioids both declined last year, but deaths related to synthetic opioids continued to increase. A vast majority of synthetic opioid deaths in Minnesota involved fentanyl.