Duluth frontline workers see divide across community
People working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic share their perspectives and observations from the last year of service. Written By: Laura Butterbrodt | ×
Family physician Dr. C.W. Hall poses for a portrait Feb. 5 at Essentia Health in Duluth. (Tyler Schank / tschank@duluthnews.com)
“I’m seeing a lot more elderly people calling 911 not just because they’re sick and they may need a transport to the hospital, but because they’re lonely, said Lisa Consie, a captain at Station 11 of the Duluth Fire Department. They’re not seeing their families anymore and they just want to talk.”
DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – According to Duluth Police, the city saw the highest number of opioid related overdoses last year since tracking began in 2013.
There were 213 overdoses within the city limits in 2020 and 20 deaths. At least 64 people were saved by officers administering Naloxone.
Police are addressing the continuing opioid epidemic with a multifaceted approach.
The grant funded Lake Superior Diversion and Substance Use Response Team allows for an expanded focus to include methamphetamine, reduces delays in outreach and assessment and provides services to a growing caseload.
The Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force continues to remove drugs and illegal firearms from the streets and connects with the community to educate about the dangers of addiction.
Duluth Police Report Highest Number of Opioid Overdoses in 2020
The Duluth Police Department reported some sobering statistics related to opioid-related overdoses for 2020.
Duluth Police say that since they began tracking opioid-related overdoses in 2013, 2020 had the highest number of opioid-related overdoses with 213 total. They also report that, pending toxicology reports, 20 people have died in Duluth city limits due to opioids last year.
If we look back, 2019 had 174 overdoses and 106 in 2018, so comparing 2018 to 2020 the numbers have doubled. The Duluth Police have had some successes to report with the use of Naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, they say that they have saved 64 people using the drug in 2020, and since 2016 the use of the Naloxone have saved 188 people.
While the opioid problem in the Twin Ports is bad and getting worse, there is hope on the horizon. The Duluth Police Department recently received grant money that will be put towards expanding the response programs over the next three year period.
The grant money totals $899,055 and represents a sizeable investment in the response program. To coordinate efforts, the Duluth Police Department will create a Lake Superior Diversion and Substance Use Response Team to utilize the funding and maximize efforts over the next three years. To funding and the expanding programing will allow the police to expand..[their]..focus to include methamphetamine, reduce delays in outreach and assessment, and provide services to a growing caseload .