The U-S Drug Enforcement Administration is increasing its presence in the Duluth area by embedding two new agents plus additional deputized personnel in the Lake Superior Drug Task Force. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson says it offers new hope for the community and region. “To those who are suffering from the abuse of opioid addiction, to the families who carry the pain and struggle of a loved one, I want you to know that we see you and we hear you,” Larson says. “We will not leave you behind.”
D-E-A Special Agent In-Charge Richard Salter says Duluth has a higher overdose rate than the rest of Minnesota. He says the opioid problem in that part of the state is likely a direct result of high prescription rates earlier in the decade.