U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will be using her staff later this month to gather information from front-line authorities about resources still needed to effectively combat the opioid epidemic, the senator's office said in a news release.
The senator's staff members will meet with first responders, elected officials and others in cities across northern Minnesota, Oct. 16-17, with meetings in Aitkin, Brainerd, Cloquet, Duluth, Mora and Virginia.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, drug overdoses claimed the lives of at least 637 people in Minnesota in 2016 - roughly 60 percent related to opioid use, said the news release.
Last month, Klobuchar announced that Minnesota was awarded major federal funding aimed at combating the opioid epidemic and made available through bipartisan legislation that she led and supported.
St. Louis County will receive a $675,000 grant, while $6 million will go to the Minnesota Department of Human Services to expand access to medication-assisted treatment in the state.
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Klobuchar was one of four senators, along with Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), to lead the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). This bipartisan bill, which was signed into law in July 2016, encourages states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies in the fight against opioid addiction. At the end of 2016, $1 billion was made available by Congress to fund the national effort.
The forums are open to the public:
Oct. 16
9 a.m., Lakes and Pines Community Action Center, Mora
12:30 p.m., Land Services Building, Brainerd
3:30 p.m., Aitkin Library
Oct. 17
9 a.m., Virginia City Hall, Council Chambers
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1 p.m., Duluth City Hall, Mayor's reception room
3:30 p.m., Cloquet City Hall, Council Chambers
