Sheriff's Office Launches New Overdose Prevention Campaign

June 20, 2019 (Minneapolis) - With the recent spike in overdoses in Hennepin County, the need to address the opioid addiction crisis has never been clearer.

Today, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office launches its new drug abuse prevention campaign, Survival Through Overdose Prevention (STOP).

“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to stopping the spread of opioid use and curbing this epidemic," said Hennepin County Sheriff David P. Hutchinson. "We have a real opportunity to address this problem during incarceration. We want to help and treat people at the jail, so they leave with a clear mind and with tools to help them continue their recovery.

STOP uses a multi-pronged approach to dealing with the opioid epidemic. This includes strategies to keep these drugs out of the wrong hands, treating those with opioid use disorder in the jails, and using tools to prevent fatal overdoses.

Most individuals with an opioid use disorder report contact with the criminal justice system. Without treatment, they are at a significantly higher risk of death following incarceration. In Minnesota, 30% of opioid-related deaths occurred within in one year of release from a state, county, or local correctional facility. In Hennepin County, 55% of the deaths occurred in the
first 90 days of release.

For details on what the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is doing to
prevent overdoses, please visit our website at HennepinSheriff.org/STOP