A new federal survey of drug deaths in Utah reiterates what counselors and drug-abuse experts have been warning of for years — the lure of abusing painkillers is deadly.

While meth busts and the illicit drug trade's link to crime grab more headlines, recent numbers show the majority of Utah's deaths due to drug misuse involve depressants — often pills prescribed by a doctor and obtained through a pharmacy.

"Meth is a horrible drug, but you don't see a lot of overdoses with it," said B.J. Van Roosendaal, a spokeswoman at the state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

There were 326 drug misuse deaths in Utah in 2003 and another 45 drug-related suicides, according to numbers announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The findings are from a new report, "Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2003: Area Profiles of Drug-Related Mortality," which is based on data submitted by medical examiners and coroners in selected metropolitan areas, Utah, and five other states.

In Utah, the top four drugs involved in drug misuse deaths were opiates, which include prescription pain relievers and heroin. Those are followed by antidepressants, cocaine and benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety drugs). Of the 326 drug-related deaths, only 24 involved a single drug.

That data back up what local experts know about addicts.

"Most are what we call poly-drug users," Van Roosendaal said. "When you combine several drugs with alcohol use, it has a real depressive effect on a person's system."

Of the drug misuse deaths for Utah, 56 percent came from the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. In comparison, the Salt Lake metro area accounts for 43 percent of the state's population.

For 2003, the rate of drug misuse deaths in Salt Lake City was 183 deaths per million, a rate higher than the 139 deaths per million for the state as a whole.

Other metropolitan areas highlighted in the report include Provo-Orem, with a rate of 128 deaths per million, and Ogden-Clearfield, with a rate of 92 drug misuse deaths per million population. The total population for Utah was estimated to be 2.35 million in 2003.

"Anecdotally, we do feel like we are having an increase," Van Roosendaal said. "People are not aware how quickly these opiates are addicting. That is why a doctor gives you 18 Lortab and not 60. . . . Pretty soon, one is not enough. I've known people who can take 10 or 15 at a time, and when that happens, you are cutting a line between getting high and suppressing your breathing so much you could overdose."

This is the first year the federal government's Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) has collected mortality data from states as part of a redesigned DAWN. Unlike in the past, DAWN now captures any death related to recent drug use, including drug misuse, abuse and drug-related suicides. Because of the many changes introduced in 2003, these data cannot be compared with data from prior years. For 2003, DAWN includes mortality data for six states — Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah and Vermont.

"Amazingly, the vast majority of people who need but do not receive treatment for a serious drug or alcohol problem don't even recognize they have a problem," said Charles Curie, administrator of the federal substance abuse and mental health division.

"Americans must begin to confront drug use — and drug users — honestly and directly. We must encourage those in need to enter and remain in treatment before it's too late, before they become a mortality statistic."

The full report is available online at dawninfo.samhsa.gov/.

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