Salt Lake City — Drug overdose deaths in Utah hit a record high in 2023, with 606 fatalities, a 14.3% increase from 2022, according to a report by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). While overdose death rates have remained near their 2015 peak for much of the last decade, 2023 marked the highest number of fatalities on record.

The report highlights a significant shift in the substances driving these deaths.

“Several years ago, most drug overdose deaths involved prescription drugs, heroin, methamphetamine—or a combination of these drugs. Now, most people die from drug overdoses that involve fentanyl or methamphetamine combined with other substances,” said Megan Broekemeir, drug overdose prevention research coordinator with the Office of the Medical Examiner in a statement.

Fentanyl is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in Utah. In 2023, 47.9% of overdose fatalities involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid known for its potency, affordability, and addictive properties. Since 2014, fentanyl-related deaths have risen by 1,160.9%, climbing from 23 fatalities in 2014 to 290 in 2023.

According to the report, there were 42 overdose deaths in the Bear River Health District between 2021-2023.

“The sharp increase in the number of fentanyl-involved deaths outpaces reductions in deaths from prescription opioids. We will likely see an increase in the drug overdose death rate if this trend continues,” said Dr. Deirdre Amaro, Utah’s chief medical examiner.

To combat the overdose crisis, DHHS has expanded prevention efforts, including tracking trends, promoting safe prescribing practices, increasing medication disposal sites, and running awareness campaigns such as Stop the Opidemic and Know Your Script. DHHS also partners with Governor Spencer Cox’s Fentanyl Task Force, launched in October 2024, to address the fentanyl epidemic directly.

“We appreciate the dedication and support of Governor Cox and the Utah State Legislature in addressing the overdose crisis. There’s much work to do but DHHS is committed to preventing unnecessary suffering and death in our families and communities,” said DHHS Executive Director Tracy Gruber.

For more information and to access the full report, visit https://ome.utah.gov/updates.



Source link