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ST. GEORGE – For the first time in six years, Utah has seen a decrease in the number of deaths related to heroin, according to data shared by state officials on Monday.
In addition, the number of prescribed opioid overdose deaths has decreased for the third year in a row.
Lt.-Gov. Spencer Cox announced Monday that the number of deaths related to prescription opioids had decreased by 16% between 2016 and 2017, while the number of deaths related to heroin had decreased by 14.5%, according to a statement from the governor's office.
"While it is certainly encouraging to see these numbers going in the right direction, the number of deaths associated with opioids and despair in our state is staggering," Cox said.
In 2017, 360 Utahns died of opioid-related overdoses. Prescription opioids resulted in 237 deaths, while heroin was involved in 159. The press release indicated that 36 deaths involved both prescription opioids and heroin , and that these deaths were counted in both categories, which explains the difference between the number of deaths (360) and the sum of deaths listed in each category (396).
"The sad fact that 360 families are battling the loss of a loved one, at least in part because of opioids, is a reason for us all to be determined to put an end to this terrible epidemic." Said Cox.
Utah is one of nine states that have seen a decrease in the number of opioid overdose deaths.
Read more: DEA Announces Three-Stroke "360 Strategy" to Fight the Opioid Epidemic in Utah
In southern Utah and throughout the state, efforts have been made to reduce the number of deaths due to opioid overdose in recent years.
In 2017, Intermountain Healthcare launched a campaign to reduce by 40% the number of prescriptions of opioid tablets written by its doctors.
In various Intermountain Healthcare facilities such as Cedar City Hospital and Dixie Regional Medical Center, posters and signs with statistics and warnings about opioid addition and overdose are posted on walls, floors, tables, elevator doors, etc.
Read more: Dixie Regional broadcasts messages on the campus of the hospital in a campaign against opioid abuse
An effort to mark opioid-based drugs with red labels warning of addition and overdose was also launched in 2017.
First responder organizations have also begun to carry nolaxone, a drug that can be used to resuscitate opioid overdose victims. The drug, which usually comes in the form of a nasal spray, began being transported by police officers to the city of Washington in 2016.
Read more: Washington City police officers now carry an overdose reversal drug
President Donald Trump has declared the opioid epidemic public health emergency in October 2017.
Cox announced that he was accepting the position of Chair of the Utah Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition, a multidisciplinary collaboration of more than 60 experts in the areas of prevention and treatment. substance abuse, law enforcement, environmental quality, health care and public health.
The press release indicated that Utah's health, commerce, public safety and social services departments were engaged in new efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, including :
- The Utah Health Department has received a $ 3.2 million grant from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that will monitor and report in near real – time cases of drug overdose. opioids. These data will provide public health agencies across Utah with a more comprehensive and timely picture of the impact of the opioid epidemic on their communities, allowing them to target their interventions more effectively.
- The Commerce Department of Utah has revamped the database on controlled substances. A new patient dashboard gives prescribers and dispensers four quick patient alerts when a potential problem exists with a patient, and a prescriber dashboard will be published so that prescribers can assess and compare their prescription.
- The Utah Department of Social Services has provided grants to local communities for the implementation of evidence-based prevention activities. He also provided resources to train and equip first responders with naloxone and this year opened three new drug-assisted treatment programs.
- The Utah Department of Public Safety has partnered with federal, state, and local agencies to create the Drug Monitoring Initiative, which aims to develop a rapid alert capability for emerging threats related to drugs in the state.
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