Drug Deaths Spike In Twin Cities: Police Rush To Find Sources

TWIN CITIES, MN — Police and other emergency responders are battling a sudden spike in overdoses across the Twin Cities that have led to several deaths. The Minneapolis Police Department saw more than 50 overdoses, including one suspected fatality, between May 28 through June 5. Saint Paul police saw five suspected heroin overdoses within 36 hours.

"This is an all-time weekly high of drug overdoses," Minneapolis police said in a statement Thursday.

Investigators in Minneapolis have detected multiple types of drugs contributing to the spike, including counterfeit oxycontin, potent heroin, and additional unknown substances.

Authorities say it is nearly impossible to attribute the entirety of this spike to just one source and all illicit drugs bought on the street should be considered dangerous and have the potential to contain powerful opiates such as fentanyl.

Overdose spike seen throughout Twin Cities metro

On Wednesday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office issued an overdose alert as officials there saw the same spike in deadly overdoses as in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and other metro communities.

Four people in Washington County died in the last two weeks of suspected overdoses, authorities said, with two of the deaths happing within 24 hours.

The following should be done in the event of an overdose:

• Call 911 immediately if someone is overdosing
• Use naloxone (Narcan) if a person is having a suspected overdose
• Seek help through a chemical dependency treatment center

Minnesota has a "Good Samaritan Law" protecting people from being charged or prosecuted if they act in good faith while seeking medical assistance for someone who is overdosing.

"Though one death is too many, this spike in overdoses and related deaths is truly concerning, especially considering how significantly it is affecting the young adults in our community," Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry said in a statement.

"As with every overdose death, I have directed our Drug Task Force to use every available resource in an attempt to find those responsible for spreading this deadly substance."