Mental Health
Mental health refers to the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of a person. When someone is struggling with their mental health it can impact their ability to live their daily life. Which is why it is important to tend to change in one’s mental health just like one would their physical health.
- 988 is a crisis line that connects people who are undergoing mental distress with trained professionals. Visit the 988 Lifeline website to learn more about what to expect when calling, texting, or chatting online.
- Direct number: (844) 274-7472
- The Mobile Response Team is a team of trained mental health professionals that helps individuals experiencing a mental crisis stabilize and connect with local resources for continued care.
Substance Use
Approximately 16.8% of individuals aged 12 and older have some sort of substance use disorder in the United States making it one of the most common mental health conditions in the country.
Alcohol
The use of alcohol impacts both your physical and mental health. While under the influence, there are impairments to coordination, emotions, and judgement which can make it difficult and dangerous to perform certain activities you would do while not under the influence, like driving. Long-term overuse of alcohol can have damaging impacts to multiple organ systems including the brain and liver.
Cannabis
Questions about cannabis & it's legalization? Fill out this form: Steele County Public Health Community Cannabis Questions
All answers will be provided below.
The use of cannabis products in any form has physical and mental health impacts. While impaired, functions such as memory, decision making, coordination, and reaction time are all impaired. Heart rate and blood pressure are also increased which, with long-term use can cause excess stress on the cardiovascular system, increasing one’s risk for stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular issues. Long-term impacts can also happen amongst mental and emotional functions such as emotional regulation and increased risk of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and disorders involving psychosis.
Adult use recreational cannabis was legalized in Minnesota during the 2023 legislative session under Minnesota State Chapter 342. With the legalization of adult use recreational cannabis, the state legislature also created the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). OCM oversees cannabis regulations at the state level. At the local level, Steele County’s registering and enforcement authority is the Steele County Property Tax and Elections Office.
- Minnesota State Chapter 342
- Steele County Ordinance #42: Cannabis Regulations
Opioids
For more information on Steele County's Opioid Response Initiative, please visit Opioid Response Initiative page.
Steele County Public Health is a Naloxone Access Point where naloxone kits, fentanyl test strips, and xylazine test strips can be obtained at no cost.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a medication that temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose to prevent death. If someone consumes too much of an opioid medication: oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, and heroine, it can result in an overdose.
Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain. This includes the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and pain medications available legally through prescriptions (ex. OxyContin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®).
Opioids can be dangerous when used without medical supervision due to the risk of fatal overdose. Opioid overdoses can happen when someone has taken a very high or strong dose, has mixed opioids with other drugs, or if the person has certain medical conditions. This can cause breathing to slow or stop, potentially leading to death. Some opioids, like fentanyl, are very concentrated, increasing the risk of overdose.
Opioids are highly addictive. A person who uses opioids can develop Opioid Use Disorder, which is a chronic health condition that can have serious impacts on an individual’s life.
The opioid crisis is the worsening trend of opioid overdose deaths across the country. It began in the early 1990s, driven largely by prescription pain medications such as OxyContin. Today, the overdose crisis is mostly driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which are highly potent and may be used in combination with other drugs. Nationally, the number of drug overdose deaths increased by nearly 30% from 2019 to 2020 and has quintupled since 1999 (find more information here).
Tobacco
Commercial tobacco use includes a wide variety of products: e-cigarettes/vapes, snuff, combustible cigarettes, nicotine lozenges, etc. Commercial tobacco use has been linked to several long-term negative health outcomes including lung diseases, cancers, heart disease, and nicotine addiction, regardless of how commercial tobaccos products are consumed. The best way to avoid the risks associated with commercial tobacco products is to avoid use and proximity to those while they use. If you are using commercial tobacco products, quitting helps reduce risks of developing a long-term condition.