UNITED STATES – Minnesota and North Dakota saw big drops in drug overdose deaths in 2024 while South Dakota had a slight increase.
According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Minnesota had a more than 27 percent decrease from 2023 and North Dakota’s reduction was nearly nine percent. South Dakota had just over a two percent rise in fatal overdoses.
Experts point to limited access to overdose prevention tools like naloxone as a factor for the increase in overdose deaths.
Angela Kennecke of Emily’s Hope in Sioux Falls says more education and wider distribution of naloxone could help reduce them.
The non-profit is working to provide free kits of the medication and fentanyl test strips across the state while offering programs to prevent substance abuse and support recovery.
