Salt Lake City

Drug And Alcohol Addiction In Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, hasn’t made much data public in terms of their Opioid problem. This does not mean that they don’t have one, however. From 2013 to 2015, Utah as a whole ranked 7^th nationally for deaths caused by overdose. While this ranking improved in 2016, falling to 20^th, the actual reduction in number of deaths was marginal, falling from 646 to 635. Utah’s improved ranking was actually due to a rise in the number of deaths in other states. In 2018, 70% of drug-related deaths involved Opioids throughout the entire state; that percentage correlates to 46, 802 fatalities.

Fortunately, there are several treatment facilities nearby, but traveling a short distance to neighboring regions might be more beneficial in finding the assistance best suited to your needs.

Oxycodone In Salt Lake City

Throughout Utah, 55% of prescription Opioid overdoses involved Oxycodone or medications containing Oxycodone. This is such a huge percentage, that the next highest, Hydrocodone, came in at 17.7%. In 2015, 24 individuals died from prescription Opioids every month. That makes 288 deaths a year from prescription drugs, 158 of which involved Oxycodone. Despite that, Oxycodone’s rate of death per 100,000 prescriptions was among the lowest; the only lower death rate from prescription medications was Hydrocodone.

Oxycodone’s low death rate, yet high number of deaths, reveals that Oxycodone is more heavily prescribed than any other Opioid in Utah. Like many states, Utah has joined the fight against pharmaceutical companies who have been pushing prescription medications through hospitals and clinics.

Heroin In Salt Lake City

The number of deaths from Heroin in Salt Lake City has increased since 2015. The confirmed number of deaths of Utah residents in 2016 was 166, a jump from 127 the previous year. This increase makes sense, as Heroin is much cheaper than the illicitly gained prescription pills. However, increasingly officials have been finding cases of Heroin laced with Fentanyl (a synthetic Opioid 50 times as powerful as Heroin) which has led to many overdoses as the lethal amount is smaller than a few grains of sand. As long as the number of people addicted to prescription Opioids remains the same, more will eventually turn to heroin as a cheaper, more potent option. Without treating the prescription Opioid problem, Heroin will never go away.

Salt Lake City Addiction Statistics

Finding Help In Salt Lake City

Finding treatment is always a challenge, especially in the city where your addiction was born. Luckily, the state of Utah has a beautiful, unique landscape that treatment centers are able to take advantage of and bring you out of the city. If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction, though there are several in the area, try looking for a solution outside of Salt Lake City. You might need someplace far away from the state to make a big enough change. If you don’t know where that is, or how to start your search, contact a treatment provider today.