TREMONTON — A suspected drug overdose death in a Tremonton park last week is part of a larger drug issue in Utah, says Tremonton-Garland Police Chief Dustin Cordova.

At least 33 drug overdoses, mostly involving fentanyl, have been reported in Box Elder County alone since Jan. 1, Cordova said. But he emphasized that 33 is only a ballpark estimate, as many overdoses are initially miscategorized.

One recent overdose happened July 18. Tremonton police and fire officials responded to Meadow Park, 754 S. 700 West, around 5:40 p.m. following a report of a body. Cordova said a 23-year-old man was found dead of what is suspected to be a drug overdose.

"It's an ongoing investigation, but he did have a history of drug use, and there was no other reason why he should have passed away that day, that we could see on the scene," he said.

There were many people at the park who saw the body, including several children.

"It was one of those scenes that was pretty disturbing for a small community that's not used to seeing those kinds of things," the chief said.

He described Tremonton as a "small, very good, low-crime community," and said he hopes to keep it that way, as the Box Elder County Narcotic Strike Force works to identify and target dealers who are victimizing residents.

"Our initiatives are to target people that are victimizing members of our community, and we're looking for those drug hot spot locations where you have your drug dealers or people that are really attracting crime to our community," Cordova said.

Related:

Fentanyl use on the rise in Box Elder County

Police in Box Elder County say fentanyl is hitting their community hard as overdoses and deaths have gone up in recent months.

Cordova said drug issues are rising not only in Box Elder County, but throughout Utah. Prior to joining Tremonton police about a year ago, Cordova saw similar ongoing drug issues in his role with Unified police in Kearns.

"It's a growing issue and I don't think it's specific to our community — I think it's just a Utah problem right now," he said.

Community action

Cordova said the community needs to pay attention to signs of fentanyl use. He emphasized that he doesn't want to create fear, but parents and community members need to be aware they play an essential role in preventing more drug deaths.

Resources are available on the Tremonton-Garland police website to help community members recognize the signs of fentanyl use. Their fact sheet says fentanyl, like many other opioid analgesics, can cause effects like confusion, sedation, drowsiness, dizziness, shallow breath, nausea and vomiting.

Fentanyl overdose can cause stupor, change in pupil sizes, clammy and bluish skin and even a coma or respiratory failure.

"The presence of a triad of symptoms such as coma, pinpoint pupils and respiratory depression are strongly suggestive of opioid poisoning," the sheet says.

Cordova said if parents pay attention and help get their kids the right resources, they can help protect the community.

"It's really important, especially in our youth, that we're actually paying attention to or looking for those signs," Cordova said. "There's nothing worse than having to notify a parent or family member that their loved one passed away, and in a lot of cases, it's avoidable."

Related topics