Substance abuse and addiction adversely affects thousands of Minnesotans and their families and costs millions of dollars in increased health care, social services, child protection, law enforcement, court costs, treatment services, and aftercare.  The Office of the State Drug Policy and Meth Coordinator was created to help address the problems caused by substance abuse in Minnesota. 

This office:

• Helps provide statewide coordination of methamphetamine, alcohol, and other substance abuse policies and programs across agencies and jurisdictions.
• Reviews current substance abuse education, prevention, enforcement, and treatment programs; identifies gaps; and recommends changes to help ensure that efforts to reduce substance abuse are as effective as possible.
• Facilitates collaboration on substance abuse issues among state agencies, as well as various levels of government, and non-government entities through information and planning meetings, written analysis and reports, and communication and networking
• Identifies best practices and assists in the development of statewide and community strategies to fight substance abuse.
• Promotes public awareness and provides accurate information about substance abuse through outreach to interested entities and organizations and to the media
• Identifies emerging issues and gaps and makes recommendations to policy makers to improve substance abuse efforts statewide

Minnesota Drug Endangered Children Alliance

The State Drug Policy and Meth Coordinator is also managing the development of a statewide Drug Endangered Children Alliance as directed by the Governor, working with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children.  A statewide Drug Endangered Children Alliance (DEC) is designed to provide a comprehensive approach to the needs of children exposed to drug and alcohol abuse by coordinating the policies and efforts of law enforcement, child protective services, courts, prosecutors, schools and teachers, health professionals, and prevention experts.

For further information contact the Office of the State Drug Policy and Meth Coordinator:

Chuck Noerenberg
State Drug Policy and Meth Coordinator
chuck.noerenberg@state.mn.us
651-201-4835

Minnesota Department of Health
85 East 7th Place
P. O. Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164-0882
Phone: 651-201-3600
Fax: 651-201-3603