Photos: KBJR-TV

By Natalie Grant of KBJR-TV - December 28, 2021

Opioid overdoses are killing people at a higher rate this year than ever before.

In Carlton County alone, they have seen 58 overdose deaths this year. That is an increase from the 43 recorded last year.

Richard Colsen with Tagwii Recovery Center, located on the Fond du Lac reservation, sees the trend first hand.

“The pandemic has pushed people to isolate, spend time alone. It’s given them more free time, and all of those things together are kinda pushing us to a spearhead,” said Colsen.

According to Colesen, some drugs are often unknowingly laced with fentanyl and could lead to a fatal overdose.

But, tools like Narcan could start saving more lives.

“It’s kinda a gamble on what people are taking, so the more we can get Narcan in people’s hands, the more we can educate them on how to get treatment services and the types of treatments that are available,” said Colsen.

Narcan comes in a nasal spray or injection and can immediately reverse the effects of an overdose.

Some grace, coupled with life-saving tools, will hopefully end the deadly trend.

“People can recover from substance abuse. There are options for treatment, and people should reach out,” said Colsen.

Tagwii offers pop-up workshops distributing Narcan free of cost and training people on how to use it.

For more information on recovery resources, click here.

To watch the video version of this report and see related stories, follow this link to the KBJR-TV  website. https://www.kbjr6.com/2021/12/28/northland-recovery-groups-aim-reduce-climbing-overdose-deaths/