Brooklyn Park Church Offers Drug Test Strips To Counter Rise in Fentanyl Poisonings
Fentanyl poisonings have risen significantly throughout the country. Data from the Minnesota Department of Health reveals that fentanyl is now involved in 62 percent of all overdose deaths and 92 percent of all opioid-involved deaths in the state.
A grassroots effort to combat that is taking shape in Brooklyn Park in the form of a harm reduction station, a small metal box containing drug test strips and Narcan outside Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
Twin Cities creative agency SixSpeed’s Overdose Prevention Program builds these small boxes to distribute throughout the community. This particular box is sponsored by the Swanson family and their “Mateo’s Message” project.
Mateo’s Story
Terri Swanson, Mateo’s mom, shared photos of Mateo with CCX News on Tuesday morning. For Terri and her family, they hold countless memories.
One photo was of him and his nephew.
“‘Tio Teo’ — and that’s how my nephew still knows him — but he now would have a niece as well, and he didn’t get a chance to meet her,” Terri said.
Terri shared a photo of her son Mateo with his nephew.
Mateo was adopted from Guatemala at 4 months old. He grew up in Plymouth with his parents and two older sisters.
“He just was a really well-rounded, well-liked person that really believed in trust and loyalty,” Terri said.
On March 27, 2023, Mateo went for a drive to meet a mutual friend in Brooklyn Park. He picked up what he thought was Percocet to use recreationally, but died after taking it that night. It turned out that drug was 100 percent fentanyl.
“He really believed in loyalty with friends,” Terri said. “The reason I’m telling you that is ultimately, it’s the loyalty and trust that killed him.”
Terri said the 21-year-old who sold Mateo the drug was charged with murder and is now going to jail.
Since Mateo’s death, the Swansons have channeled their grief into action. That action started with their “Mateo’s Message” cards, branded with the words “Pause. Take a beat…” Terri said she hopes it will remind people like Mateo to think before they use, distribute or sell.
Terri said that while this work is purposeful, it is not easy, especially without Mateo.
“I wish this was something that we both would’ve known about and did together because we could [and] not because I had to,” she said.
Reducing Harm
The Swanson family later got connected with SixSpeed, whose overdose prevention mission aligned perfectly with theirs.
SixSpeed’s harm reduction stations contain fentanyl test strips and Narcan. Their Overdose Prevention Project explains how the tools can be used to prevent overdose deaths.
Test strips are a preventative measure. Before using drugs, test strips can be used to ensure there’s no fentanyl in the supply. They’re used by taking a small sample of the drug and mixing it with water, then putting the test strip in briefly. On most test strips, one red line indicates that the drug is positive for fentanyl. Two lines mean the fentanyl is not present.
Narcan, on the other hand, can be used in the event of an overdose or fentanyl poisoning. This naloxone product comes in the form of a nasal spray, and can be sprayed into the nose of a person experiencing an overdose. It helps buy more time for someone experiencing an overdose, and is only effective in an opioid overdose.
Minnesota’s Good Samaritan Law protects bystanders who administer Narcan and call 911 from prosecution.
By the end of the week, there will be four prevention stations across the Twin Cities. SixSpeed CEO Kevin Reilly said this is an important cause his company will continue to back.
“The distribution of NARCAN was something that we could get behind because there wasn’t a mechanism for getting them out into the communities where it was needed,” Reilly said.
Reilly shares SixSpeed’s harm reduction box located just outside the office.
Suburban Support
Most of the boxes are in Minneapolis so far. Mateo’s Station is the first suburban location and the first family-sponsored box.
“By putting a box in the suburbs, that helps us make sure we’re saying not everything happens in the city,” Swanson said. “Because it doesn’t. It happens in rural areas, it happens everywhere.”
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is located near the corner of 73rd and West Broadway in Brooklyn Park.
Pastor Natalia Terfa said when Mateo’s family reached out and asked to install the box, it was an “easy yes.”
“This is something that can meet an actual, physical need that can actually save lives,” Natalia said. “If Mateo had a test strip, he would be alive.”
The station was installed a couple weeks ago. Natalia said since its installation, they’ve restocked it multiple times.
“There’s almost no one within our congregation who hasn’t been touched by this in some way,” Natalia said.
Through this partnership and advocacy, Terri hopes Mateo’s memory lives on beyond the photographs. She hopes his message catches on, too.
You can learn more about Mateo’s Message on the family’s website and see other harm reduction station locations. SixSpeed’s website shares how you can help the cause.
The harm reduction stations are accessible to anyone, any time.
