Drug overdose deaths decreased in all but three states, and Utah is one of them

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As the United States saw a steady decrease in drug overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, Utah overdose rates remained largely unimproved. But that’s not the whole story.

According to recently released data from the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Utah is one of only three states in the country that saw an increase in overdose deaths between October 2023 and October 2024. As a whole, the U.S. saw a 25% decrease in overdose deaths in the same reporting period.

However, looking at data over the past decade gives a greater perspective. Overdose deaths spiked nationwide in 2020 and are just now beginning to move toward pre-pandemic levels. Utah did not see a drastic increase in overdose deaths during the pandemic nor a recent decline in the past year.

In fact, overdose deaths have remained relatively steady in Utah since 2015, with the number of deaths ranging between 500 and 750.

Dr. Jennifer Plumb, Medical Director of Utah Naloxone, said that because Utah’s overdose rates “did not escalate in the same way” as other states during the pandemic, the state does not have “the same trajectory to come back down.”

“That being said, Utah does need to remain committed to focusing on supporting people who are struggling with substance use disorder and find ways to reengage people who are not as supported within the system,” Plumb said.

Last week, Utah Naloxone released a positive milestone in Utah’s fight against overdose deaths. The organization said more than 12,500 overdoses have been reversed using naloxone in Utah, according to reported data.

“Every life saved is a second chance,” said Captain Brian Lohrke, public information officer for the University of Utah Department of Public Safety. “The ability for officers to carry and administer naloxone has been a game changer in our response to the opioid epidemic.”

The organization says naloxone should be present wherever opioids are, and Plumb told ABC4 that “increasing access to treatment and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) remains crucial.”

Utah Naloxone provides free naloxone kits and training opportunities as well as other resources to prevent overdose deaths of substance users. Stop the Opidemic, run by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), also provides free naloxone and related resources.

For those who use substances, there are additional free resources available that could be life-saving, including fentanyl test strips, wound care supplies, and HIV and hepatitis C testing. These resources are referred to as syringe services programs and exist to help people across the state of Utah.

“We’ve done a great job of getting our prescription drug use — and overuse of prescription drugs — in check,” Tricia Bishop with DHHS told ABC4 last year. “Now, it’s fentanyl that is coming from the illicit drug markets, that we’ve got to be precautious of … we have to have education and resources available.”

Renisha Mall contributed to this story.