Utah leaders speak on the dangers of the drug that has saturated Utah’s market

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — As National Fentanyl Awareness Day approaches , Utah leaders are attempting to educate the public about the lethal dangers of the drug.

According to the DEA , fentanyl has saturated Utah’s drug market. It is cheaper, more potent, and more widely available than ever before.

The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine , and is a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the U.S. More than 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the CDC states .

Over the last few years, Utah has experienced a rise in overdose/poisoning incidents, and fentanyl has been the primary catalyst, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

According to the most recent data by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services , 603 Utahns died as a result of drug overdose in 2021. That same year, 67% of Utah overdose deaths were related to opioids and 29% were related to fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and Utah is no exception,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah.

Because of this, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the DEA, announced the first Utah Drug Overdose Task Force to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the Beehive State last month .

“It is also our goal to raise awareness,” Higgins said. “Through the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force, I am confident we can make a difference.”

The task force is reportedly made up of 10 state, local, and federal law enforcement offices throughout the Wasatch Front.

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