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St. Cloud is boosting funding for programs to help combat a rise in drug overdose deaths.

St. Cloud Police Chief Jeff Oxton says 21 people have died of drug overdoses in the city so far in 2025. That ties a previous high number of overdose deaths in 2023.

The city numbers follow a statewide trend of rising fatal overdoses, mainly from fentanyl and also methamphetamine, Oxton said. St. Cloud saw a big jump in overdose deaths about five years ago, when fentanyl became more prevalent in Minnesota. 

“That’s because it’s such a potent drug — 50 times more powerful than heroin, 100 times more than morphine,” he said. “People use it, and they just don’t know how to control it like they do the other drugs they may be using, and they die from it.”

Oxton said the death toll likely would be higher if not for the city's efforts to expand the availability of Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. 

Overdose deaths in St. Cloud decreased slightly last year to 14. Oxton said it was harder to find fentanyl in the pill form in St. Cloud after a major investigation of fentanyl sales resulted in charges against dozens of people.

The St. Cloud City Council recently approved spending funds from a statewide settlement with opioid manufacturers on programs to reduce overdose deaths. 

The majority of the funding — about $667,000 — will go to a co-responder program that pairs social workers with police officers on emergency calls. They provide wrap-around care and try to get people connected with resources for substance use or mental health issues, Oxton said. 

“There’s a big crossover between the two,” he said.

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Minnesota's Opioid Epidemic

Kirsti Marohn

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The city numbers follow a statewide trend of rising fatal overdoses, mainly from fentanyl and also methamphetamine.

The historic Stearns County Courthouse seen

St. Cloud sees surge of drug overdose deaths in 2025

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