 23 million people in the United States suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol. And for every one person addicted, nearly four more people are affected. This epidemic has hit various communities in our viewing area, from Bemidji to Leech Lake. Lakeland News reporter Shrell Moore was at Bemidji State University today for a presentation aimed at curbing the crisis. The opiate overdoses, they're not a problem. They're an epidemic. It's out of control. We all admit that we've been hearing about overdoses a lot in the news lately. The Leech Lake EMS team has been traveling throughout different communities in northern Minnesota, informing the public about the epidemic, and giving them the tools to curve overdoses. This is costing our community millions and millions of dollars a year, and it doesn't need to. Connection and community is how we battle this disease. What we wanted to do was get together to do, start these trainings to make sure that community members will have a kit to be able to save people's lives, because it could take 45 minutes, maybe an hour for ambulance to get there. The presentation went over signs to look for, which were unresponsive behavior, blue lips and fingers, agnobreathing, and small pinpoint pupils. Then, the crowd was shown how to administer Narcan, which treats overdoses in emergency situations. They were even given free kits at the end of the presentation. The first thing people can do is admit that there's an issue, there's an epidemic going on. Know the people that you're with, the people you're around, especially the people in your homes. You really need to look at how do we make our community better, so that people have access to care if they need it, and then also what are we doing to create events in our community that aren't just centered around alcohol or drugs. Another big rule was if you see something, say something. That simple action could save someone's loved one. I always tell people if you're really, really sick and tired of drugs, then let's start doing something about it. Reporting of Imogen, Shawmore, Lakeland News. Many Minnesota pharmacies participate in programs that provide Narcan to the public. If you feel you need it, you should check with your local pharmacy. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.