Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Utah Overdose Data to Action in States - Utah has been facing a significant opioid overdose problem for over a decade. In 2021, there were 585 drug overdose deaths in Utah, and opioids were involved in 72% of those deaths. The problem of opioid abuse and overdose in Utah is not unique to the state, as it has been a nationwide issue. However, Utah was initially hard hit by the opioid epidemic, and had one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the country. The causes of Utah's opioid overdose problem are complex and multifaceted. Factors contributing to the problem include the over-prescription of opioids by healthcare providers, lack of access to addiction treatment and resources, and the availability of illegal drugs such as fentanyl. Utah has implemented a variety of initiatives and policies to address the problem. These include increasing access to addiction treatment and resources, implementing prescription drug monitoring programs, and expanding access to naloxone. Despite these efforts, Utah's opioid overdose problem remains a significant public health issue that requires ongoing attention and resources to address. The goals of the proposal are two-fold: 1) to collect and disseminate comprehensive, quality, timely and actionable drug overdose-related data, and 2) expand state and local capacity to implement data-driven prevention and response strategies, including linkage to care and harm reduction in Utah. During the first year of the grant, activities will leverage work completed through the first cycle of OD2A funding, Utah’s Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States (PfS) project, the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance (ESOOS) program, and Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response-Opioid Epidemic (CRISIS). This work included dashboard development, extensive harm reduction activities, academic detailing, enhancing the PDMP as a public health tool, data linkage, opioid fatality review, policy advocacy, community level interventions, collection and dissemination of data, changing high-risk prescribing behavior, and enhancing the readiness of state and communities to address drug abuse, misuse, and overdose deaths. These collective activities make Utah well-poised to ensure the major goals of this funding opportunity are linked and implemented as part of a dynamic system to use data to drive immediate action.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).