Dulitz: Altru ER opioid overdose cases at 8-year low

Michael Dulitz of Grand Forks Public Health had good news for the City Council this week regarding Altru statistics on opioid – and suspected opioid – overdoses.

“We’re actually at the lowest point for overdoses that we’ve been since basically late 2014,” he said. “So over the last year, we’re looking at 20 overdoses that have actually been to the emergency department.”

Altru’s ER reported 4 overdoses in the first quarter of 2023…and 2 in the fourth quarter of 2022.

However Dulitz said, since 2020, first responders with the Grand Forks Police and Fire Departments reported higher numbers in overdoses and fatalities.

In 2021, there were 71 overdoses and 11 fatalities. In 2022, the numbers were 38 ODs and 8 deaths… and so far this year, 6 overdoses and 1 suspected fatality.

Since 2021, first responders have deployed Naloxone 71 times.