Polk County is committed to reducing the negative impacts associated with opioid use disorders by partnering with key sectors and community members with lived experience to develop the Polk County Opioid Settlement  Advisory Council. The Council will guide the spending of National Opioid Settlement dollars to save lives and prevent further damage.

• The Council serves to advise the Polk County Board of Commissioners as to how to most effectively, efficiently, and equitably spend the Opioid Settlement funds awarded. 
  • Candidates that serve on the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council represent a variety of sectors in our community, including, but not limited to: Recovery (individual in recovery or recovery professional), Public Health, Law Enforcement, Treatment / Addiction Medicine, etc. 
• For more detailed background on the multi-district litigation (MDL), visit the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office – Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – endorsed by nearly 50 major organizations - created the Guiding Principles to ensure proper spending of opioid litigation funds.
• According to the Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the Public Health departments shall serve as the lead agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as Local Governments decide how to leverage and disburse Opioid Settlement Funds. In their role as Chief Strategist, public health departments will;
  • Convene multi-sector meetings
  • Lead efforts that build upon local efforts like Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans
  • Foster community-focused and collaborative evidence-informed approaches that prevent and address addiction across the areas of public health, social services, and public safety. 
  • Consult with municipalities located within their county in the development of any Community Health Assessment
  • Collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the county where appropriate.
• Contact information – opioids@co.polk.mn.us 

For more opioid data, visit: The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy 2022 Q1-Q4 Prescription Monitoring Dashboard

Minnesota opioid-related data can be found on Minnesota Department of Health’s opioid dashboard. The dashboard contains detailed information on overdose deaths, opioid-related hospital visits, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed, the prevalence of substance use disorder, and more. 

Advisory Council Meetings

Meetings are held monthly at alternating locations throughout Polk County. Members of the public may submit questions to suggested topics they'd like addressed via email opioids@co.polk.mn.us prior to the next meeting.