According to the Utah Department of Health, Utah leads the nation in the rate of people involved in drug abuse, with about 6 percent of the population using prescription painkillers nonmedically.
Drug-related deaths now kill more people in Utah than auto accidents do.
This trend shift shows driving is becoming safer, and the abuse of powerful prescription painkillers is rising, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s not uncommon to see at least one overdose death per week in Utah Valley,” said Lt. Phil Murphy, director of the Utah County Division of Substance Abuse.
In 2008, 276 people died because of auto accidents on Utah public roads.
“That’s actually the lowest number of auto accident deaths that we’ve had in Utah since 1992,” said Gary Mower, research analyst for the Utah Department of Health.
In 2007, there were 467 drug-related deaths, with 317 attributed to prescription or over-the-counter legal drugs, according to a report by the Utah Department of Health.
“The alarming trend is that we’re seeing a lot of people getting hooked on opiate pain killers like Oxycontin, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, along with heroin, causing accidental deaths,” Murphy said.
Prescription overdose rates have more than quadrupled over the past 10 years.
“The two main things that are contributing to prescription drug abuse are the lack of education about the consequences of prescription misuse by medical professionals and the fact that pills are very available in medicine cabinets across the county,” said Kye Nordfelt, research analyst for the Utah County Division of Substance Abuse.
The average age of those dying from prescription overdose deaths is between 39 and 41. according to useonlyasdirected.org.
“Drug abuse can occur with people in the community that you would least expect,” Murphy said. “For an ultra conservative state and county, you wouldn’t think that drug abuse would be a problem.”
He said addiction to pills usually begins with a medical pretense or legitimate pain issue. As people become more addicted, they often make the switch to using heroin because of its significant price difference.
“The important thing to consider is what impact that six percent of drug abusers has on the community,” said Nordfelt. “Not only to consider the death rates, but the economic and work losses as well as problems in the home that result from abuse.”
by Erika Potter for The Daily Universe
Although 6% seems pretty low as an overall number, that is still quite high for people not needing prescription drugs and using them anyway. Very interesting statistics!
Posted by jessica1234567 | December 19, 2009, 11:36 am