Duluth’s ‘Substance Use Response Team’ Coordinator Talks Opioid Crisis

DULUTH, Minn. —  Last year in Duluth, a record number of opioid-related overdoses were recorded.

There were a total of 480 opioid-related overdoses, including 46 deaths.

In 2013, there were 42 opioid-related overdoses and one death.

Jessica Nickila, coordinator of the Duluth Police Department’s Substance Use Response Team (SURT), said the over prescribing of opioids decades ago in our area is connected to the historic number of overdoses today.

“The long answer goes back to the 1990s. We were the third highest saturated opioid county for prescription rates from 2006 to 2014. The first highest was Mille Lacs County, they got the most opioids per capita. Second was Carlton. Third is St. Louis.  So we started with a far higher number of people who are using prescription opioids. It only makes sense that as the opioid epidemic has progressed, and has transitioned to more illicit and synthetic opioids, that we also are far disproportionately affected and have more people using those opioids because we have more people using prescription opioids, by far,” Nickila said.

Fentanyl is a major contributor to opioid overdoses, according to Nickila. She said the opioid overdose reversal drug known as Narcan is helping save lives with the hope of getting out of the cycle of addiction, which affects all neighborhoods in Duluth and all income levels.

“Highly traumatized people gravitate towards opioids, because it’s a painkiller. And it’s a very effective painkiller. It works for both physical and mental pain. So these are, these are highly traumatized folks that oftentimes their substance use leads them to further victimization. And what they need is love and support, not kind of the tough love mentality that was really present in substance use treatment in like the 90s and 80s. Where it was like, get your act together nd we’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with you,” Nickila explained.

Nickila said it’s important to support anyone battling addiction, so they can hopefully get the help they need to break the cycle.