Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jon Collins, 612-919-5918
Sheriff’s Office teams
up with Minnesota Vikings to tackle the opioid epidemic
October 13, 2017 (MINNEAPOLIS) – The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is partnering
with the Minnesota Vikings to help share the #NOverdose opioid prevention
message during the team’s upcoming home game against the Green Bay Packers.
On game day, Sunday,
October 15, 2017, the Sheriff’s Office will educate fans about the opioid
epidemic and prevention at the #NOverdose booth located in The Commons park
area outside of U.S. Bank Stadium. Volunteers at the booth will provide
information about statewide medicine disposal locations and the dangers of
prescription drug abuse.
“We continue to see record numbers of opioid-related
deaths both here in Hennepin County, and around the county,” said Hennepin
County Sheriff Rich Stanek. “Every one of these overdose deaths is tragic and
every one of them is preventable. For that reason, we are grateful for
partnerships with organizations such as the Vikings who can help us share this
important message with the community.”
The Sheriff's Office #NOverdose booth will open
around 9 a.m. and game kick-off will be at noon.
Game attendees and the general public are
invited to stop by the #NOverdose booth to learn about proper medication
disposal and receive a free giveaway item.
#NOverdose
2016 was a record year for opioid-related deaths
in Hennepin County with 153 opioid-related deaths, a 39 percent increase over
2015. During January through August of 2017 there were 100 opioid-related deaths,
a 10 percent increase from the same time last year.
Due to the record number of opioid-related
deaths during 2016 in Hennepin County, the Sheriff’s Office launched a drug
abuse prevention campaign called #NOverdose. As part of the campaign, the
Sheriff’s Office has partnered with school-parent organizations, law
enforcement agencies, elected officials, businesses, and health & community
organizations to assist educating the community about current drug dangers,
trends and prevention.
Medication collection
Sheriff Stanek, in collaboration with the
Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department, started the medication
collection program in February 2012 when the first collection boxes were made
available at Sheriff's Office locations in Spring Park, Brooklyn Park and
downtown Minneapolis. During the past five years, the number of collection
sites has grown to 11 boxes throughout the county, with several local police
departments introducing boxes in their lobbies.
The Sheriff’s Office recently reached a milestone in its efforts to combat the opioid epidemic as it surpassed 100,000 pounds (50 tons) of household medication collected since the program began.
Seventy percent of prescription drug abusers say
that they obtained their supply of prescription medications from friends and
family. Properly disposing of prescription medication, such as opioids, can
significantly decrease the likelihood of individuals having access to these
highly addictive drugs.
Properly disposing of unused medication is not
only important to prevent drug abuse and poisoning, but also to protect the
environment. The medication that is collected by the Sheriff's Office is
destroyed by incineration, a method that has been found to be the most
environmentally friendly while also rendering the drugs inert.
To learn more about the Sheriff’s Office
#NOverdose campaign and medication collection program click
here.
- HCSO -
Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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