8 opioid overdoses in 17 days in Grand Forks
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) – Opioid addiction can impact any community and that’s the case in Grand Forks as the issues become more and more prevalent. In the last 17 days, there have been eight overdoses here in Grand Forks according to the police department.
“Talking with the police. They hadn’t seen any overdoses at all in the third quarter of this year,” said Michael Dulitz, the Grand Forks Public Health Opioid Response Coordinator. “And then to all of a sudden have that increase and have them be concerned about the increase. That told us something needed to be done to warn the community that something was up.”
Here are some guidelines from public health:
- Do not use substances alone.
- Carry naloxone and teach your loved ones how to use it.
- Naloxone can be obtained at no cost in three easy ways
i. In person: Inspire Pharmacy (360 Division Ave, Grand Forks)
ii. By Mail: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
iii. By Mail: Next Distro
- Never assume what an illicitly purchased pill has in it based on the imprints or based on past use. Composition can vary widely from pill to pill due to clumping of substances.
- If you are having trouble with addiction or dependence, reach out for help – local resources can be found at gfrecovery.info or by calling North Dakota 211.
“Just getting that first baby step, just making that appointment to get set up for medication assisted treatment. It’s just so easy that we want people to make sure to know that it is available.” said Dulitz.
However, not all agree to this message being used by Grand Forks Public Health. City Council member Rebecca Osowski responded to the news release from public health in an email:
