MINNEAPOLIS — Twin Cities health officials say a new viral social media claim about opioid overdose deaths isn't completely accurate.
The widely-viewed tweet claims overdose deaths at the Hennepin County Medical Center have "skyrocketed" recently due to a "bad batch" of drugs.
However, a spokesperson for Hennepin Healthcare said paramedics and emergency rooms are not seeing a significant increase in opioid overdoses to start 2023; though there is ongoing concern about rising overdoses in recent years.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, nonfatal overdoses and overdose deaths have steadily increased over the past five years, and Dr. Andrew Baker, the chief medical examiner for Hennepin County, said his office saw "drug fatality rates skyrocket" in 2022.
In the first 10 days of Jan. 2023, Hennepin EMS responded to approximately 118 overdoses. In the first 10 days of Feb. 2023, they treated approximately 120 overdoses. "Hennepin EMS did not see any substantial increase in HCMC’s Emergency Department as well during this timeframe," Hennepin Healthcare said.
The Minneapolis Police Department also confirmed officers have not seen an increase in overdoses around the city.
Hennepin Health added, "we use the terms 'highly potent' or 'extremely high potency' instead of 'bad batch' because the latter infers there is a 'good batch' of illicit drugs on the street. By its nature, an illicit drug market cannot be safe. We also want to avoid placing any stigma on those who are using these drugs and who deserve every effort to have their lives saved with the use of Narcan. The social media messaging questions the use of this life-saving medication and this is extremely harmful to those who need it. No matter what – Narcan should ALWAYS be given to individuals who are suspected of an overdose."
Data posted on the City of Minneapolis website shows fatal opioid overdoses were up significantly in 2021 from 2020, from 146 to 197. The city added that illegally-made fentanyl is linked to the increase in fatal and non-fatal overdoses in recent years.
Dangerous drug mix on the rise
Several people replying to the online post claim xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer mixed with fentanyl, is to blame for overdose deaths. According to the National Institute of Health's National Institue on Drug Abuse, xylazine "has been linked to an increasing number of overdose deaths nationwide," most notably in Philadelphia and other cities in the northeast. However, the NIDA said research has found overdose deaths linked to xylazine have spread westward across the country.
The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed Friday that the agency has seen an increase in "xylazine-involved overdose deaths," and that fentanyl is consistently found along with xylazine.
According to MDH data, four overdose deaths involving xylazine were reported in 2019. In 2020 there were eight, in 2021 there 23, and based on preliminary data for 2022, 32 xylazine-involved deaths were reported last year.
Drugs off the streets
On Friday, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt announced nearly 13,000 fentanyl pills were taken off the street after Violent Offender Task Force members carried out a warrant in the south Uptown area earlier this week.
Along with the fentanyl, which included "enough pills to kill thousands of people," according to the sheriff's office, task force personnel seized a large press used to package and distribute narcotics, six handguns and one rifle that were illegally possessed by the target of the search warrant.
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