Grand Forks Officials Team Up To Fight Drug Use

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Grand Forks authorities are dealing with a fentanyl problem.

An autopsy reveals Alex Davis, a UND visual arts student, died in April of a fentanyl overdose. This is the third Grand Forks death in less than a year linked to fentanyl.

Officials in Grand Forks are partnering to warn the community about the harsh realities of fentanyl and other drugs.

“Words can’t express our loss for the family and for that young life that could have been,” says UND Associate Vice President of Health and Wellness Laurie Betting.

The entire Grand Forks community, extremely saddened by the news about Alex Davis.

“Statistics are telling us that this is a problem that isn’t going away it’s growing,” Betting says.

But instead of letting this happen again, officials in the area are fighting back against drug use.

Altru and UND teamed up to release a video about the high risks of using fentanyl, a potent, synthetic drug. Click here for the video.

It’s approximately 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

“University of North Dakota takes up a very large chunk of the north end of Grand Forks so whether it’s we see somebody passing through our area or whether it’s a student here on campus I mean it’s something that we see and it’s something that we continue to address,” says UND police officer Daniel Weigel.

Officials say the drug problem is happening all over Grand Forks, affecting people of all ages and walks of life. It took the life of 18-year-old Bailey Henke in January
and 19-year-old Evan Poitra last July.

“It isn’t defined by the collegiate experience or the K-12. It is people that are outside those systems,” Betting says.

Now that the video is out there, authorities say the next step is to continue to educate everyone about drug use, including children.

“What research tells us is it’s really important to address the parenting part of this and help parents have those critical conversations with their youth,” says Betting.

Half a dozen people are facing federal charges in overdose cases over the past year.