November 29, 2017

Opioid use is leading cause of death in North Dakota

Opioid use is leading cause of death in North Dakota

By Kate Ruggles
Farmer Staff Writer

According to the North Dakota Safety Council (NDSC), opioid mis-usage has surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of unintentional deaths in North Dakota. This statistic is staggering, but who exactly does it impact?
Karolin Jappe, McKenzie County emergency manager, says that it impacts first responders as well as the public, but in different ways.
“In most emergencies, first responders are the first on scene,” states Jappe, “and we have encountered some weird things.”
Jappe says that drugs are like technology in that they are always changing. But drugs can be extremely dangerous, even fatal. Therefore, it is important for first responders to stay updated on what drugs are out there and how to handle them safely.
For this reason, Jappe and the McKenzie County Emergency Management office arranged a training for law enforcement and medical response officers at the Rough Rider Center last Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017.

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