Utah prescription-drug deaths drop

You may know her as the neighborhood soccer mom, who has the lowdown on what's happening in your area.

Maybe he's the guy two streets over with the perfect lawn who hosts family barbecues and leads the Scout troop.

There were 40 more Utahns alive last year in the Beehive State than in 2007 because they didn't overdose on prescription pain medication. They didn't make the news or call 911. Their families haven't been to the morgue, the funeral home or the cemetery.

State health officials said this week there's really no accurate profile or predictor of who will abuse prescription drugs, but they do know that the number of deaths in Utah decreased 12.6 percent from 2007 to 2008.

It's the largest dip in non-illicit-drug overdose deaths in Utah in the 14 years, and though officials can only guess at why the number dropped after a jagged climb in recent years, they're still concerned about the 277 people who did die of what they consider "a preventable epidemic."

Erin Johnson, Utah Department of Health manager for the prescription medication program, said the majority of prescription-drug overdose deaths occur in Utahns ages 30 to 50, and that the gender split is roughly 50-50. Prescriptions that tend to kill those who overdose include drugs like oxycodone (such as OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (such as Lortab and Vicodin) and methadone.

Such deaths are "notably present throughout the state," while those dying of illicit drug use are located in only nine counties, she said.

Because the numbers of prescription-drug deaths have grown rather rapidly until the past year, the health department has undertaken a study with the families of those who die from overdose, looking to determine what was happening in the deceased person's life when he or she died, whether there was a history of substance abuse, why he or she was taking the drugs and any other underlying causes.

In the past, the only information health officials gathered on those who died was whether or not they had a legitimate prescription for the drug or drugs they had taken, she said.

"We want to develop a profile of them, so we're interviewing next of kin for anyone who has died in last six months," Johnson said. They're trying to determine whether related health issues play into the deaths, including whether the deceased had sleep apnea or a higher body mass index.

While officials can't know for sure why the number of deaths dropped in 2008, the health department did launch its "Use Only As Directed" public awareness campaign in May 2008, hoping to educate Utahns about the potential dangers of abusing prescription pain medication. They believe those efforts "have begun to pay off," said Dr. David Sundwall, health department executive director.