PROVO — Prescription drug overdoses caused more deaths in Utah in 2006 than automobile accidents and illegal drug overdoses, according to the Utah Department of Health.

The number of deaths, the increasing frequency of prescription drug abuse and the effect the abuse has on families and the community keep growing in Utah County.

So the Utah County Health Department's Division of Substance Abuse held a public meeting Wednesday night in downtown Provo to educate residents about the problems the community faces — and what can be done to help prevent and treat substance abuse.

At the gathering, Ron Williams talked about his film "Happy Valley," which talks about substance abuse in Utah County. Drug abuse, the film says, affects people in every walk of life.

People don't understand the issue well enough and don't discuss it enough, he said. Many people, he said, don't want to admit that drug abuse is a problem here.

"Maybe we're just not talking about it enough," he said. "We're a great state, we have great families, we have great people — we just need to remove the denial issues."

Williams said that addictions cross all boundaries and affect everyone, despite income, religion or race, and communities need to be more active in helping people with substance-abuse issues.

"We look to the government too much with what's going on with addiction. We should be the front line as community members," he said.

"Happy Valley" takes an honest look at the problems surrounding substance abuse, he said. "The point of this movie is to take a stand in our own backyard, even if it's not popular at times."

About 30 people attended the meeting at the Health and Justice Building. Several said residents need to talk more and deny less.

Williams said the majority of the people who abuse drugs are "usually good people with bad habits, and pretty soon they start needing the drug."

Pat Bird, prevention coordinator for the Utah County Health Department's Division of Substance Abuse, said substance abuse, especially with prescription medication, isn't something only adolescents or young adults deal with.

He said adults who don't follow the instructions they're given with painkillers are also highly affected, even though they've never been high risk-takers. Most prescription painkillers, such as OxyContin, are opiates and if abusers can't receive another prescription they turn to street drugs, typically heroin.

One man featured in Williams' film made one bad decision, which resulted in jail time. Williams and those in attendance noted that one decision can cause serious consequences.

"By making one decision one time — (it) can affect your whole life," said Becky Canning, prevention specialist for the Division of Substance Abuse