Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jon Collins, 612-919-5918
Sheriff’s Office
provides The Great Medication Disposal Option for The Great Minnesota Get-Together
August
23, 2018 (ST PAUL) – Starting
today, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, with dozens of volunteers and several public safety partners, will be at
the Minnesota State Fair to educate fairgoers about the dangers of opioid abuse
and handing out free medication disposal pouches.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Ramsey County, Carver County, and Dakota County Sheriffs’ Offices, and Allied Against Opioid Abuse will all be assisting the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office at the fair in educating fairgoers.
This marks the 8th year that the Sheriff’s
Office has been at the fair in an effort to educate attendees about the dangers
of drug abuse, however it will be the first year that a medication disposal
option will be handed out. Providing increased medication disposal options has
been a key component in the Sheriff’s Office #NOverdose campaign.
“The Minnesota State Fair is a fun event
that provides our agency and partners with a great opportunity to better
educate tens of thousands of fairgoers about the dangers of prescription drug
abuse,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. “This year, in addition to
education, we will provide attendees with a safe and convenient way to dispose
of their unwanted and unused medications when they get back home.”
The Sheriff’s Office will also unveil a
new fair booth that looks like an “old western” sheriff’s office, with wanted
posters aimed at reminding fairgoers to properly dispose of their unused
medication. There will be a squad car available for tours and photos.
County statistics show that during 2017,
Hennepin County experienced 175 opioid-related deaths. This marked a new record
high for the county, surpassing 2016’s 153 opioid-related deaths—resulting in a
more than 65 percent increase since 2015. Through the first half of 2018,
however, the numbers appear to be showing improvement- the average
opioid-related death rate has fallen from 14.62 to 11.8 per month.
According to 2016 data from the National
Center for Health Statistics, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for
Americans under the age of 50.
The Sheriff’s Office booth will be
located on Cooper St. Street (near the Food building, U 25 on the State Fair
Map).
#NOverdose:
2016 was a record year for
opioid-related deaths in Hennepin County with 153 opioid-related deaths, a 39
percent increase over 2015. 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.
- HCSO -
 Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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