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SALT LAKE CITY — With an average of 6 deaths related to overdosing on prescription opioids occurring each week in Utah, officials are reminding the public to discard extra medicine.
Out of the entire country, Utah has the fourth highest number of deaths related to drug overdose, according to the Utah Department of Health. A total of 300 people died in 2014 as a result of prescription overdose.
“Our data show that nearly 60 percent of Utahns who were prescribed an opioid in the past year reported that they had leftover medication,” prescription drug overdose coordinator Angela Stander said in a statement. “Of those with leftover medication, only 27 percent reported disposing it. When improperly stored or disposed of, leftover medications can be dangerous.”
To reduce the risk of the drugs being abused after a prescription ends, law enforcement agencies are participating in the National Take Back Initiative on Saturday. Drop-off locations can be found throughout Utah. A complete list can be found on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website.
For those who are unable to attend Saturday's take-back event, a list of permanent drop-off locations can be found online. Intermountain Healthcare also has disposal drop boxes.
At 59.2 percent, the majority of prescription overdose-related deaths in Utah involved oxycodone, according to the UDOH. The department reported that the next most common drug involved in the deaths was methadone, at 12.6 percent.
“Prescription opioids deaths have outnumbered heroin and cocaine deaths combined since 2002,” a statement from the health department reads.
