Minnesota is turning a corner on the opioid crisis and local businesses are playing a surprising role.
Opioid addiction in Minnesota contributed to years of rising overdose deaths, but recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the state saw a significant decline in opioid overdose deaths in 2024 and 2025.
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Increased access to naloxone (brand name Narcan), the opioid overdose reversal medication, is credited as a key factor.
Now, a St. Paul-based nonprofit is making it easier than ever for everyday businesses to be part of the solution.
What Is the Naloxone Access Point Program
The Steve Rummler Hope Network, headquartered in St. Paul and serving Washington County, runs a Naloxone Access Point (NAP) program that allows public-facing businesses to offer free naloxone directly to community members with no ID, no cost and no judgment.
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“We want to make sure naloxone is in the spaces where life is happening,” said Allie Carey, director of programs at the organization. “We want libraries, we want businesses, we want coffee shops and restaurants.”
Any business open to the public with regular hours and a commitment to monitor supply can apply to become a NAP partner. The network provides the naloxone at no charge.
Approved locations are listed on a statewide map on the Steve Rummler Hope Network website, so community members can quickly find naloxone near them.
Understanding Opioid Addiction and Why Naloxone Saves Lives
Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers like oxycodone, as well as illegal substances like heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Signs of opioid addiction include:
- Strong cravings or inability to stop use
- Withdrawing from friends, family, or responsibilities
- Continuing use despite negative health or life consequences
- Needing more of the substance to feel the same effect
Naloxone works by rapidly reversing an opioid overdose. When someone stops breathing or becomes unresponsive after opioid use, a dose of naloxone can restore normal breathing within minutes. It is safe, non-addictive, and increasingly available without a prescription across Minnesota.
The Story Behind the Steve Rummler Hope Network
The organization is named after Steve Rummler, a man who developed an opioid dependency following a severe spine injury and receiving prescription drugs for pain.
He later described his experience: “At first it was a lifeline. Now it is a noose around my neck.” After years battling opioid use disorder, including periods of treatment, Rummler turned to heroin and died of an overdose on July 1, 2011. The nonprofit bearing his name was founded within weeks of his death.
The program currently has strong support from Washington County, which has allowed the network to recruit NAP partners aggressively throughout the region.
To qualify, a business must:
- Have a physical location open to the public
- Maintain regular business hours
- Agree to notify the network when naloxone supplies run low
Participating businesses are trained on how naloxone works and how to administer it. In-person and online training options are available through the Steve Rummler Hope Network website.
“We never want to risk sending someone to a place where they won’t get what they need,” Carey said.
Finding Opioid Addiction Treatment in Minnesota
Access to naloxone saves lives in the moment, but ongoing recovery from opioid addiction requires professional support.
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid use disorder, Addictions.com lists verified rehab centers in Minnesota and across the country. You can also call
800-681-1058
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