NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Hodan Hassan
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 62B – 651-296-0294 – rep.hodan.hassan@house.mn.gov
597 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
March 9, 2023
Legislation to increase naloxone distribution, outreach, education, and training receives first committee hearing
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the House Human Services Finance committee passed legislation to increase outreach, education, training, and distribution of naloxone kits in Minnesota. Naloxone, also called Narcan, is a medication known to reverse the effects of opioids, making it a vital tool in treating overdoses. The bill requires 50% of the funding to be used for collaborative outreach in East African and Somali communities in Minnesota, which have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis.
The bill is authored by Rep. Hodan Hassan (DFL – Minneapolis).
“We are facing an opioid crisis here in Minnesota, with East African and Somali communities being hit especially hard,” said Rep. Hassan. “African Americans are twice as likely as their white neighbors to die of an opioid overdose, largely due to these communities being neglected when it comes to having tools and resources to fight addiction. With fentanyl overdoses on the rise statewide, we must act immediately to keep our communities safe and prevent unnecessary casualties of this crisis.”
The bill has been laid over for possible inclusion in a larger Human Services bill.
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