A new report from the Minnesota Department of Health shows opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota dropped for the third year in a row in 2025, falling to 671 deaths, down from a peak of 1,039 in 2022.
While this is positive news, experts warn the public must remain vigilant, especially as we head into the holidays and winter in Minnesota.
“It’s a dark time and a season where the cultural expectation is joy and it intensifies the feelings of depression when you feel like you should feel happy and you don’t,” said the Rev. Ed Treat, founder of The Center of Addiction & Faith.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data track overall overdose trends, and report that drug overdose rates are approximately 22% higher during the holidays compared to non-holiday periods.
Through a partnership with Washington County’s Opioid Settlement Fund, The Center of Addiction & Faith will host a free public naloxone training session on Nov. 12 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater.
Having been what he describes as “a full-blown drug addict” the first third of his life, and then an ordained pastor for the second third, Treat is passionate about spreading awareness about addiction and naloxone, a tool proven to prevent deaths.
“I’m always surprised talking to first responders. I asked one recently how often they use it (naloxone) and he said every week.”
The training on Nov. 12 is open to anyone. Registration includes a free naloxone kit.
“People think naloxone is just for people in the business of helping those struggling with addiction or first responders,” Treat explained. “The best is when someone has it on hand before first responders. That’s a critical window.”
Treat said no special medical training is necessary to step in during a life-threatening crisis, noting that naloxone carries no health risks and will not harm anyone if administered during a non-overdose emergency.
During the training, Treat will address how hidden addiction can be in local communities and why churches are uniquely positioned to intervene, even if they don't realize it.
“We’re called to love our neighbors and one way to do that is to save their lives,” Treat said. “We have a tool to do that and it costs nothing.”
Along with a free naloxone kit, participants in the Nov. 12 training session will also receive fentanyl test strips, which can detect the presence of fentanyl in street drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and counterfeit prescription pills, thus helping people prevent fatal overdoses.
Treat said his mission is to reduce the stigma associated with addiction while also arming the public with tools to save a life. He said you never know who might need you.
“We live in a culture that wants us to appear healthy and fine, so we put on masks and no one knows what we’re struggling with.”
To learn more and register for the free naloxone training on Nov. 12, go here.
