Drug overdose deaths have increased five-fold since 1990.

A 2008 survey of Utah adults found 21 percent had been prescribed an opioid pain medication.  Nearly a fourth of Utah’s population used these addictive opioids. There are more drug deaths in Utah than traffic fatalities. Think about that one. That’s a lot of people using pain pills. What are we doing that we need so much pain relief?

Between 1999 and 2007, the number of deaths attributed to prescription pain medications rose more than 500 percent, according to the Utah State Health Department.  

The statistics are alarming and demonstrate that Utah has one of the highest prescription drug abuse and death rates in the nation. Jeffery Sweetin, a special agent to Utah with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration concurs by saying, “Utah has a pharmaceutical drug problem.”

Pain medications remain the most common type of prescriptions related to overdose and death. These prescription drug deaths occurred in 24 of Utah’s 29 counties. So the problem is not simply an urban problem. It’s everywhere in Utah. 

“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.

Men and women are affected almost equally. The average age for death is between 39 and 41 years old. We need to ask ourselves why? And indeed the State of Utah has begun its own investigation to understand the why.

Early results from this investigation tell us that most overdose deaths happen to the unemployed, those without health insurance, who are experiencing both financial difficulties and chronic pain.

Well, common sense would tell you that these abusers would have difficulty maintaining employmenth, they may have been let go from their previous employment because of their substance abuse.

That of course leads to financial problems. Not working usually does. Lack of health insurance follows unemployment. Depression would then seem a common outcome in this scenario. More than likely, their chronic pain led to the addiction in the first place. The user will complain of chronic pain as an excuse to family members and as a ruse to receive more prescriptions from doctors.

We need to dig a little deeper than that. Those are all self-fulfilling prophesies and don’t give us real answers.

Let’s start with this question: are doctors in Utah more likely to prescribe opioids when there are other options? The addiction begins with the initial use of the medication. Long term use will most certainly result in an unintentional addiction. These pain killers are very addictive. We need to understand that and believe it.  Addiction can happen to anyone.

Local pain physician David Byrd from St. Mark’s Hospital said doctors need to be more wary of prescribing narcotics, “Narcotics should not be the first line of treatment for pain,” he said. “If anything they should be the last line. They carry such huge burdens.”

Here are some suggestions outlined for doctors and patients;

• Alternatives to opioid treatment should be tried before initiating opioid treatment;
• Providers should screen for risk of abuse or addiction before initiating opioid treatment;
• Long-acting opioids should usually not be used to treat acute pain;
• The patient should be informed of the risks and benefits of opioid treatment.

We need to be responsible and ask ourselves if we know anyone with this problem. Is there a way to help them through education or intervention?

If there were someone in your work place abusing prescription drugs, what would you do?

If you saw them leaving the work place clearly compromised because of their drug use would you let them drive home?  

For more information check out this web-site:   www.UseOnlyAsDirected.org

State of Utah Health Department’s web-site:  http://health.utah.gov