The Good Life – July-August 2017

oxycontin as magic pills and it has led to a lot of
these issues. They have made millions of dollars off
of these drugs.”
The police are here to help. Christensen explained:
“There has long been the misconception that law
enforcement tries to lock up low level users and
throw away the key. This is simply not true. Our
goal is to identify the people that are trafficking
and distributing them in our community. If we can
identify those responsible for feeding the habits and
taking advantage of the users, we will be successful.
We would like to see the low level users get the help
and treatment they need to fight their addiction.”
Todd explained: “It often starts with the pills. It
might be from a sports injury or surgery. Sometimes
those pills get distributed improperly to others.
Sometimes people are predisposed to addiction,
and when those pills become harder and harder and
expensive to get they move to another type of opiate,
often heroin. The more you use opiates the more
your body acclimates to it. It takes more and more
to get high. Before you know it, you are just taking it
to keep from being sick - going through withdrawal
is the worse flu ever times fifty. So most people are
not willing to go through withdrawal.”
The need to keep using results in crime. Todd
said: “75-85 percent of our property crime is
likely addiction driven.” It stems to theft, crimes
of opportunity, trading stolen items for drugs, and
more. It also involves a significant amount of felony
level theft.
First responders must be careful. All Fargo law
enforcement officers wear protective clothing,
including gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection,
when dealing with a potential drug overdose. Todd
added, “With carfentanil, you have to treat the
substance like a biological weapon. The size of one
or two grains of salt can kill you if you touch it. We
also have to be careful about how we use our dogs.”
Hazmat suits were even brought out during the
recent April West Fargo incident.
To address the problem, Todd called a joint press
conference in February 2016. The Mayor’s Blue
Ribbon Commission on Addiction was formed in
September of 2016 to bring together a range of
representatives from legal, treatment and other
services with support from the Dakota Medical
Foundation and the mayors of Fargo, West Fargo,
Horace, Moorhead and Dilworth.
In subsequent issues of The Good Life, we will talk
with members of that commission and others on
the front lines of this issue in our community and
explore strategies for prevention and treatment. •
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