Utah
Fentanyl is the most common drug found in overdose deaths in Utah • Utah News Dispatch
Fentanyl is the most common drug found in overdose deaths in the state, according to a new report from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
There were 606 drug overdose deaths reported in 2023, a 14.3% jump from 2022. The report found 290 of those deaths involved fentanyl. Drug overdose deaths peaked in 2015 and haven’t dipped since. More people died from fatal drug overdoses in 2023 than ever before, and for the first time, there are more deaths from fentanyl than methamphetamine, according to the report’s findings.
“The sharp increase in the number of fentanyl-involved deaths outpaces reductions in deaths from prescription opioids,” said Dr. Deirdre Amaro, chief medical examiner. “We will likely see an increase in the drug overdose death rate if this trend continues.”
With a record-number of Utahns dying from overdoses, state announces new fentanyl task force
Utah launched a fentanyl task force, which DHHS is part of, last October to combat the drug market. The objectives of the task force include educating the public, disrupting trafficking networks, partnering with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, addressing the root causes of fentanyl use, collecting data on drug usage, and looking at policies and penalties for those convicted of dealing drugs.
“We appreciate the dedication and support of Governor Cox and the Utah State Legislature in addressing the overdose crisis,” said Tracy Gruber, DHHS executive director. “There’s much work to do but DHHS is committed to preventing unnecessary suffering and death in our families and communities and helping all Utahns have fair and equitable opportunities to live healthy and safe lives.”
The task force met Thursday to discuss the report’s findings.
“Our subgroup leaders identified immediate next steps for action, many of which are now underway, to reduce the impact of fentanyl in our communities,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a post to X.
Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, has introduced a bill that would make trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance a first-degree felony.
In a post to X on Wednesday, the official Utah House Majority account praised the bill.
“Rep. Matt Gwynn’s bill hands out presumptive prison sentences to fentanyl traffickers, increasing penalties while investing in law enforcement programs to disrupt the supply of dangerous drugs in Utah,” the post read.
The report also found that middle-age men have a significantly higher rate of drug overdose death; people who experience homelessness die at a much faster and younger rate than those who are not homeless; and southeastern Utah counties like Emery, Grand, Summit, Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah have higher rates of drug overdoses.
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‘2.5 minutes of terror’: Passengers sue Delta, alleging crew flew into dangerous weather despite warnings, injuring dozens
Twenty passengers allege the airline ignored repeated weather warnings before the flight hit severe turbulence that sent dozens of people to hospitals
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Delta airplane travels down the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City last March. Passengers on a Delta flight last July are suing the airline over injuries suffered because of violent turbulence.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
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