In the 15 year span of 2000 to 2015, Utah has experienced a nearly 400% increase in deaths from the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. (Opioid Overdoses, n.d.) Prescription opioids are the main driver of overdose deaths with nearly 70 percent of deaths in 2017 involving these drugs. In 2017 alone there were 456 drug overdose deaths directly caused by opioids in the state of Utah. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019)
While the opioid crisis is running rampantly throughout Utah, it is also an epidemic that is sweeping the nation. According to the CDC, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2017 alone. Opioids are responsible for 47,600 of those deaths. (Drug Overdose Deaths, 2019)
Addiction to opioids is something that doesn’t just effect already using drug addicts or those who have previously used drugs. In many cases, those effected are the elderly hard working individuals who spent the majority of their lives working difficult blue collar jobs. All types of people, regardless of previous use, economic status, gender or race can fall into the difficult web that is opioid addiction. Once prescribed painkillers, it can be extremely difficult to break free of the habit. (Cortez, M, 2018.)
Cortez, M. (2018, January 2). How Carbon County is 'building a fence' to protect the community from opioids. Retrieved from https://www.deseret.com/2018/1/2/20637765/how-carbon-county-is-building-a-fence-to-protect-the-community-from-opioids
Drug Overdose Deaths. (2019, June 27). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, March 30). Utah Opioid Summary. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/opioid-summaries-by-state/utah-opioid-summary
Opioid Overdoses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://health.utah.gov/vipp/topics/prescription-drug-overdoses/