Widespread naloxone availability is a key response to average of three deaths a day

Overdose deaths held steady from 2021 to 2022, 1,356 to 1,343, marking a plateau after several years of sharp increases, according to the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Statewide Trends in Drug Overdose: Preliminary 2022 Data Update (PDF). At the same time, the preliminary data showed fentanyl-related overdoses continued to take a tragic toll, keeping deaths at a historically high level. 

Fentanyl, which is more deadly and 50 times more potent than heroin, has made Minnesota’s drug supply more dangerous. Fentanyl is now involved in 92% of all opioid-involved deaths and 62% of all overdose deaths in Minnesota, according to preliminary 2022 data. Opioid-involved deaths increased 3% (977 to 1002 deaths) from 2021 to 2022, according to preliminary data. 

“We are responding to the more deadly threat of fentanyl with several new tools for saving lives that were passed by the Legislature in 2023, such as expanding the availability of naloxone, and covering the costs of having it on hand, in school buildings, treatment programs, and during emergency and law enforcement calls,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. 

Meanwhile, deaths involving prescribed opioids, heroin and methadone decreased. Deaths involving heroin fell to a 10-year low, decreasing 56% (103 to 45 deaths) between 2021 and 2022.

Psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) and cocaine also contributed to the number of drug overdose deaths. Cocaine-involved deaths saw the largest increase of any drug category, increasing 27% (165 to 210 deaths).

Drug overdoses have a larger impact on individuals, families and communities than deaths alone. For every one drug overdose death, there were nearly 13 nonfatal drug overdoses in 2022. The number of hospital-treated nonfatal overdoses remained relatively stable, decreasing 5% from 2021 to 2022 (17,792 to 16,934 overdoses), according to the data brief. 

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s 2023 One Minnesota Budget included over $200 million to address substance use and overdoses—with $50 million of that coming to MDH over the next four years. The investment addresses prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. Additionally, the governor and Legislature passed a policy to reduce drug overdose deaths by requiring all schools, law enforcement officials, emergency responders and residential treatment programs to have naloxone on hand. MDH and the Minnesota Department of Education have posted a toolkit to help schools obtain cost-free naloxone and implement the new requirement. 

Additional state-led activities include expanding medication-assisted treatment, establishing new peer recovery support systems and launching the MN Naloxone Portal where mandated groups can access no-cost naloxone. Collaboration with other state agencies and federal funding partners help make this overdose and substance use response work possible.

-MDH-

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (10/10/2023) — Despite the U.S.’s perceived wealth and abundance, food security remains a public health challenge for millions of Americans. In 2021, 13.5 million U.S. households were food insecure — meaning they did not have access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life — and rates of household food insecurity were especially high among single-parent households, Black and Hispanic households and low-income households. A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) researchers, published in Food Policy, analyzes food security among a relatively new U.S. immigrant group — Somali Americans.

SPH researchers focused their research on social capital, which is the beneficial exchange of information and other intangible non-monetary support offered within an individual’s social network or cultural community. Specifically, the research team analyzed the ways in which social capital impacts the food security of people in the Somali-American community. Social capital was measured objectively by using the size of each local Somali American community, as well as subjectively, which involved surveying community members about their day-to-day interactions with other members of the community.

Despite their significant presence in the U.S., Somali Americans are not well-represented in national research datasets such as the Current Population Survey. To overcome this, SPH researchers used a case-study method to collect and analyze data from 249 Somali-American households across seven cities in the Midwest. The study found:

• Rates of food insecurity are higher than the average U.S. household. 22% of Somali-American households in the Midwest were food insecure, compared to 10% of all U.S. households.
• The size of the ethnic enclave in a particular community (objective social capital) had a significantly positive association with rates of food security. Adding 1,000 Somalians to an urban center increased food security among local Somali American households by 0.5 to 0.6 points.
• Subjective measures of social capital were less conclusive. While subjective measures studied are not positively associated with food security, some informal interactions help people engage with their local Somali American community in ways that can stave off food insufficiency.

“Social capital can include anything from borrowing cooking ingredients from neighbors, helping community members who do not speak English or just asking other members of the community for advice,” said Harshada Karnik, SPH researcher and lead author of the study. “By examining the relationship between social capital and food security in the Somali-American community, we found that people who belonged to larger Somali American communities experienced greater food security. We are able to provide some evidence suggesting that factors other than income might also affect people’s ability to ensure food security. These findings are relevant to not only refugees, but also to other low-income, immigrant communities that develop informal or unorganized systems in the absence of formal services.”

The researchers note that social capital should not be viewed as solutions to food security, but rather as temporary arrangements for which policymakers need to develop more permanent, inclusive and reliable substitutes.

About the School of Public Health

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health improves the health and wellbeing of populations and communities around the world by bringing innovative research, learning, and concrete actions to today’s biggest health challenges. We prepare some of the most influential leaders in the field, and partner with health departments, communities, and policymakers to advance health equity for all. Learn more at sph.umn.edu.

Waxaa maalinba maalinta ka dambeysa soo kordhaya dhallinyarada isticmaalaysa maandooriyaha Vaping-ka oo ah sigaar elektaroonik ah ama sigaarka loo yaqaano (e-sigaar). Sigaarkan oo ay dhallinyaradau isticmaalaan ayaa ah mid la dhuuqo oo qiiqa ka baxana uuna lahayn wax ur ah sida sigaarka caadiga ah oo kale.

Waalidka ayaa haddaba ubadkooda kala hadli kara, wargelin karana halista ay isticmaalka maandooriyaha vaping-ka ah leedahay. Waalidka ayaa marka ay iyagu bartaan halista caafimaad ahaan ee la xiriirta isticmaalka vaping-ka, carruurtooda iyo dhallinyaradda la wadaagi kara, ka wacyi-gelin kara, una sheegi kara:

• Sida ugu haboon ee carruurta loogala hadlo khatarta caafimaad ee vaping-ku sababo
• Sida loo ogaado in ilmahaagu ay dhuuqaan, isticmaalaan vaping-ka.
• Sida loo caawimo dhallinyradda isticmaala vaping-ka.

Sidee U Shaqeeyaa Vaping-ka?

Sigaarka elektaroonigga ah “vaping-ka” ayaa kululeysa  dareerayaal ka kooban nikotiin ama xashiishad, kaddibna waxay noqdaan uumi, kaas oo la nuugo. Dareeraha (oo loo yaqaan “vape juice”) waxaa inta baddan ku jira oo ay ka kooban yihiin nikotiin ama xashiishad lagu shubo oo sidii saliid oo kale ah. Intooda baddan waxaa loogu tallo galay in mudo kooban la isticmaalo, kaddibna la tuuro.

Waa maxay Khatarta Caafimaad ee isticmaalka Vaping-ka?

Khatarta caafimaad ee isticmaalka Vaping-ka waxaa ka mid ah:

• Qabatinka: sigaarka E-sigaarka ah waxaa ku jira nikotiin, iyo daroogoyiin kale oo aad u qabatimo baddan, mar haddii uu qofku la qabsaddana ay adag tahay sida uu iskaga joojiyo. Qofkuna uma baahna in uu maalin kasta dhuuqo ama cabo vaping-ka si uu u qabatimo, wax ku filan dhowr jeer oo uu qofku isticmaalo maandooriyahan.
• Walaaca iyo niyad-jab: Nikotiinka ku jira vaping-ka ayaa ka sii dara welwelka iyo niyad-jabka uu qofku qabo. Waxa kale oo ay saamaysaa xusuusta, feejignaanta, is-xakamaynta, iyo dareenka, gaar ahaan maskaxda soo koraysa.
• Noqoshadda qof sigaar cabbista caadeysta: Dadka da’da yar ee sigaar Vaping-ga ama E-sigaarka cabba waxay u badan yihiin in ay bilaabaan sigaarka caadiga ah (tubaakada) waxaana laga yaabaa oo ay u baddan tahay in ay yeeshaan balwado kale mustaqbalka.
• Dhibaatooyin la xiriira hurdada, iyo hurdo xumo.
• Kiimikooyinka kansarka sababa oo laga yaabo in ay qofka isticmaala E-sigaarka iyo vaping-ka soo gaaraan.
• Iyo dhaawac soo gaara sambabadda oo caafimaadka qofka halis gelin kara.

Saamaynno kale oo caafimaad ayaa suurtagal ah oo uu Vaping-ku sababo oo aan weli la ogeyn. Isticmaalka Vaping-ka ayaa muddo kooban soconday, waaba maandooriye cusub, marka khatarteeda caafimaad lama wada yaqaan weli.

Sideed ku ogaan karaa in ilmahaagu uu istimcaalo Vaping-ka?

Calaamadaha isticmaala vaping-ka lagu garto waxaa ka mid ah:

• Arrimo caafimaad xumo cusub ah, sida qufac ama xiiq oo aad ku aragtid ilmahaaga.
• In aad aragto ilmahaaga oo wata sigaarka elektaroonigga ah, sida khada dheecaanka ah ee lagu daro, loona isticmaalo Vaping-ka ama walxo kale oo muuqaal ahaan aad ka shakiso.
• In aad ur cusub oo nooc kale ah oo ay sababeen (khada ama dheecaanka maandooriyaha ah ee ay ku jiraan nicotine iyo marijuana vaping-ka lagu daro) oo ka soo carfa dharka uu ilmahaagu xirto/xidhan yahay, ama marka ay neefsadaan iyagga oo ku la hadlaya ama ku ag fadhiya.

Maxaan Sameeyaa Haddi Ilmahaygu isticmaalo Vaping-ka?

Ilmahaagu waxa uu u baahan doonaa caawimad iyo taageero si uu iskaga joojiyo isticmaalka Vaping-ka. Isku day sidii aad u caawin lahayd, una heli lahaa dhiirigelin keenta sidii ilmahaagu u joojin lahaa isticmaalka vaking-ka. Waxaa laga yaabaa oo lagama maarmaan ah in aad in baddan la hadasho ilmahaaga:

• In aad mar walba la doonaysid in uu ilmahaagu noqdo qof caafimaad qaba, horumar dhankasta oo nolosha ahna gaara.
• Ku dadaal sidii uuna ilmahaagu u noqon qof la qabsadda ama joogteeya isticmaalka maandooriyaha si ayna balwad joogto ah ugu noqon.
• Isku day oo ku dadaal in aad ka ilaaliso ilmahaaga xayaysiisyada lagu bartilmaameedsado dhalinyaradda ee maandooriyayaasha xayeeysiiya.

Sidee Caruurtu iyo Dhallinyaradu u joojin karaan Vaping-ka?

Dhallinyarada doonaya in ay joojiyaan, waxaa caawin kara:

• Marka koobaad go’aanka waxaa iska leh iyaga, waxaana la rabaa in marka ay gaadhaan go’aan ay rabaan in ay iskaga joojiyaan isticmaalka vaping-ka ay meel ku qortaan wakhtiga ay rabaan in ay joojiyaan iyo sababta ay rabaan in ay iskaga joojiyaan. Tan ayaa u sahlaysa in ay marka ay damcaan in ay isticmaalaan vaping-ka ama ay xaraaradi qabato, in ay dib u eegaan sababta keentay in ay iska joojiyaan.
• Ka caawi ilmahaaga sidii u dooran lahaa maalin go’an oo ay rabaan in ay joojiyaan isticmaalka Vaping-ka. Maalinta ay doortaan in ay iska joojiyaan isticmaalka vaping-ka ha ku qortaan jadwalka si ay u xasuustaan, ha u sheegaan saaxiibadood, gaar ahaan kuwa taageeraya ee dhiirigelinaya, sidoo kale hala wadaagaan qoyskooda, si ay u garab istaagaan.
• Dadka qaarkiis waxaa u shaqeeya oo u sahla in ay iska joojiyaan isticmaalka vaping-ka calajinta xanjo aan sonkor lahayn ama nacnac.
• Tuur, kana ilaali dhamaan wixii la xiriira vaping-ka.

Qore:

Abdillahi Kahin

Program Manager (WellShare International)

Email: Abkahin@wellshareinternational.org