Deaths blamed on flood of counterfeit, illicit drugs laced with fentanyl 8:30 am, Apr. 28, 2021 × Special to The Forum ROCHESTER, Minn. — Minnesota experienced a 32% increase in overdose deaths between October 2019 and September 2020, according to preliminary data released last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With 1,000 overdose deaths in the state during the period of collection, the jump marked an increase of 246 overdose deaths in the state over the previous year. During this same period, North Dakota experienced a 20% increase in overdose deaths, while South Dakota saw overdose deaths fall by 5%. The 2019-20 spike in Minnesota mirrors nationwide trends, a 12-month period in which 87,000 Americans died from drug overdose for an increase of 28.8% over the previous year. By comparison, 2018-19 marked just a 5% increase in overdose deaths within the United States.