Some of Minnesota’s top influencers including prosecutors, law enforcement officials, medical experts and drug treatment specialists were in Minneapolis on Thursday in an effort to devise strategies to combat a growing heroin issue.
Although the rise in heroin use isn’t isolated to Minnesota, the state is one of the first to hold a statewide meeting to discuss its implications and attempt to prevent its spread. Contrary to other drugs like marijuana or cocaine where police spend months looking for the big suppliers, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger suggests police should focus their attention on smaller heroin dealers, the ones who sell to users who eventually overdose. He also added that dealers charged in overdose deaths should be handed over to federal prosecutors, as a federal conviction would guarantee a longer sentence. Luger believes police focus on these dealers and the threat of serious jail time could cripple the heroin market.
“We want to make Minnesota an inhospitable place to do business,” Luger said. “Many parts of the country have missed the boat on how to deal with heroin.”
Concerning Trend
Overdose deaths due to heroin use and other opiates are on the rise in Minnesota. Hennepin County is already on pace to surpass last year’s record high of 56 heroin overdose deaths, and the county reported 132 opioid-related deaths in 2013.
One way the city is attempting to prevent overdose deaths is by distributing Narcan, a drug that can temporarily reverse the potentially lethal effects of heroin, to EMTs and first responders. Dr. Marc Conterato, an emergency physician at North Memorial Medical Center, said ambulances are now always stocked with Narcan.
“Narcan has been given to people as young as 14 and as old as 72,” said Conterato. “Ten years ago, Narcan wouldn’t have been one of the medicines stocked in an ambulance.”
Another debate near the end of the summit revolved around whether or not someone who witnesses a heroin overdose should be immune to prosecution if they call 911. Currently, a law called Steve’s Law, which also allows first responders to use Narcan on an overdose victim, provides callers with limited immunity. Hennepin County Sheriff Rick Stanek said there’s pros and cons of either argument, but at the end of the day, a person shouldn’t lose their life because a friend feared jail time for calling 911.
“Bottom line is that we are in the business to save lives,” he said. “It’s a public policy issue.”
Related source: Star-Tribune
