Drug overdoses prompt GFPD warning

The Grand Forks Police Department is warning the public about a powerful illegal opiate making the rounds. Authorities say they responded to numerous narcotic related drug overdoses Saturday evening -including a fatality. The GFPD says several subjects ingested what they believed to be heroin and began overdosing requiring immediate medical intervention. Police says it appears the substances that the subjects ingested were laced with a more powerful drug. The identity of the fatality is being withheld pending family notification.

Grand Forks is seeing an uptick in opioid drug overdoses. During the first seven months of 2021 the GFPD recorded 37 suspected O-D’s…and three opioid overdose deaths. Officers have also administered the overdose reverse medication naloxone 19 times this year – and the fire department eight times.

Grand Forks Opioid Response Coordinator Michael Dulitz says they are seeing more counterfeit pills – appearing to be 30 mg oxycodone tablets – which contain fentanyl.

GFPD statement on 9/10/21

We once again urge citizens to refrain from using any drugs or medication that were not obtained from a doctor, pharmacy, or other reputable business. There is no way of knowing what you are actually taking if pills or other substances are obtained from an illicit source.

The Grand Forks Police Department and Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force are actively investigating to determine the source of these narcotics. Anyone with information on is asked to contact the GFPD by one of the following methods:

Call: 701-787-8000

Online: Submit a tip via the GFPD’s Facebook or website

App: Submit a tip via the Tip411 app

The Grand Forks Police Department would like to thank paramedics from Altru Health Systems and members of the Grand Forks Fire Department for their assistance with these calls.

For information on overdose prevention please visit: https://prevention.nd.gov/stopoverdose

For opioid treatment locations, please visit: https://dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/directory.aspx

Narcotics Anonymous can be found at: https://na.org

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