With a huge Mormon population and a strong influence by the church’s leaders in both the community and in state politics, Utah has long been a state where there have been tight controls on substance abuse. Alcohol is more difficult to purchase and the state as a whole spends fewer dollars per person on substance abuse than every other state in the US.
Fox 13 now reports that the state is going to have to do something fast to curb the abuse of prescription medications. It has been discovered that more people die from prescription drug overdoses than in car crashes each year in Utah and experts say prescription medication abuse has become an epidemic in the state.
Could Utah be the Worst?
A former police officer turned medical consultant is traveling the country talking to doctors about how to help stop prescription drug abuse. He says Utah's prescription drug problem is one of the worst he's seen.
Part of the problem is how lucrative the market is for prescription medication. A pill costing a patient $1 can be sold for up to 30 times that amount!
Utah is tackling the problem head-on, affording more resources and actively prosecuting sellers of illegal prescription medication.
Remember, abuse and addiction to prescription medication often begins the place you least expect – in your own home! Make sure that you as parents, and even spouses or significant others, monitor the prescription bottles in your home.
Another area Utah is making inroads are safe locations to dispose of unwanted and unused medications. Another tact may be to actively enforce offenders and making them take drug education classes.