Heroin: The Hardest Hit

Viewing at the Grand Rapids Area Library with audience input & discussion following the film. Pizza served.

RSVP appreciated: robertf@kootasca.org or call 218-999-5883

This meeting is free and open to the public.

Heroin: The Hardest Hit is a powerful documentary focused on the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its effects on the people of Virginia. Produced by the Office of Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, the film examines the epidemic from all angles with personal stories of addiction and overdose,
testimonies from parents who lost their children to an overdose, and insights from law enforcement and public health professionals who are working to address the crisis.

Like Virginia, the opioid problem in Minnesota crosses socioeconomic, age, and ethnicity lines. In 2016, 395 Minnesotans died from opioid overdose, more than six times higher than the opioid overdose deaths in 2000. Prescription opioids account for the greatest number of overdose deaths in Minnesota, but since 2010, heroin and fentanyl-involved deaths have increased in Minnesota.

An overdose happens when a drug is taken in excessive amounts. During an opioid overdose, the person becomes unresponsive; their breathing becomes shallow, slow, or stops completely; their lips and fingertips turn blue or grey; and they may have convulsions or make gurgling or snoring noises. This happens because the brain is deprived of oxygen and the body is slowly shutting down. Opioid overdoses are often fatal, but they can be nonfatal if the proper steps are quickly taken to counteract an overdose.

Virginia has a “Safe Reporting” law that offers legal protection for drug users trying to save a person having an overdose, as long as they call 911 and cooperate with emergency responders and law enforcement. Minnesota has a similar law called “Steve’s Law”.