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2019-11-19
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Policy Proposals
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Copyright (c) 2019 Sara Bolnick
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Peeling Back the Layers: American Indians and the Opioid Crisis in Hennepin County
Sara Bolnick
University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Abstract
Opioids are highly addictive and increasingly accessible to many in Minnesota - and when misused can cause addiction, destroy lives and kill. American Indians die from opioid overdose at the highest rate of any ethnic/racial group in Hennepin County, reaching historic levels. This epidemic has no preference for race or ethnicity but when intertwined with historical and systemic racism and discrimination, the correlating impact revels extreme socioeconomic disparities. This paper will explore the magnitude of this problem in Hennepin County among American Indians and solutions that will support services to combat addiction and prevent overdose.
