Utah unveiled a new initiative to control prescription drug abuse in the state. Prescription drug overdoses in Utah have increased 400 percent since 2000. Dubbed the Utah Pharmaceutical Drug Crime Project, the task force includes a broad swath of stakeholders interested in the issue: the DEA, the Salt Lake City Police Department, the Utah Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement groups, the Utah Department of Human Services, the FBI, the Utah Attorney General’s Office, and healthcare providers. The task force seeks to reduce the availability of prescription drugs for abuse and increase public awareness of the potential risks associated with prescription drugs. The objective of the group is to pass new legislation that would make disposal of unused prescription drugs easier for consumers.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse sponsors a Chat day for people to become involved and ask questions and get answers.
Hi I am writing to see what I can do to get involved with this. I am a physician assistant student at the University of Washington but am originally from Utah. I am working on a research project that has to do with the abuse of prescription drugs by teenagers in Utah. I don’t personally know any teens but do know some adults with this problem. I am especially worried about what I know about Pharm parties where teenagers mix drugs. Since I will be allowed to prescribe these drugs when I graduate I want to be aware of what is going on in Utah and how I can help. Thanks for getting this cause going.
Posted by Rhonda McKenna | January 20, 2010, 1:11 am