DUBUQUE, Iowa- Dubuque police say it was meth that caused an officer to become ill while he was searching an apartment in early April, and it sparked a conversation.
"Dubuque police initially responded for a disturbance at an apartment on Central Ave. There they arrested Nathan Chapman for domestic assault causing injury. While on the scene, officers saw drug paraphernalia They received a warrant to search the house and that's when the officer encountered the powdery substance that tested as meth. Police then additionally charged Chapman for possession of a controlled substance."
Deb Prier, executive director at Substance Abuse Services Center (SASC), conducted a study in 2018 to examine meth-use in Iowa. She found meth-related deaths are increasing.
According to Prier, “In 2017, there were 96 meth-related deaths in Iowa, compared to only 49 in 2013."
The officer that encountered the meth is doing ok and has since returned to work.