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Tyler Elwood
English 2010
MWF 9:00-9:50 AM
Professor Jessica Frogley
Prescription Drug Abuse in Utah
Utah is typically not a state that is known for substance abuse problems and trails
the rest of the United States when it comes to this matter. This is not the case when it
comes to prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse in one of the leading causes of
death in the state of Utah. To explore the reasons as to why prescription drug abuse is so
common in Utah, research was taken from online databases and local news reports. The
findings included statistical information and citations, which discuss this matter.
INTRODUCTION
Most people in Utah know someone who has struggled with and possibly even
died because of a prescription drug problem. According to the U.S. Department of
Health, Utah is fourth in the nation for the non-medical use of prescription drugs.
Prescription drug overdose is now the number one cause of injury death in Utah. In an
interview with a national radio show called The Take Away, University of Utah Professor
of Pharmacology Glen Hanson discussed this matter:
Utah usually trails the country in substance abuse problems, things such
as the traditional drugs that give us problems like cocaine and heroin, and
even in alcohol and tobacco. With the prescription drugs, Utah has been
up at the top. It seems to have a different impact or perspective in the state
of Utah (The Take Away).
As stated by Mr. Hanson, Utahans seem to have a different view when it comes to
prescription drugs than they do with “traditional drugs”. Prescription drugs are viewed as
being medicinal with a purpose of curing or suppressing disorders and illnesses. In Utah,
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the negative effects that can come from the abuse of prescription drugs are often ignored
or overlooked. There are many theories as to why prescription drug abuse is so prevalent
in the state of Utah. This report will explore these theories in attempt to gain an
understanding of why there are so many Utahans abusing prescription drugs.
METHODS OF RESEARCH
Articles from local newspapers, the U.S. Department of Health, and NIDA (The
National Institute on Drug Abuse) were researched. Information from online databases
was also used in the research process. The articles used in this process were from local
news sources including reports from KSL News, The Salt Lake Tribune, and The Deseret
News. The next sources researched were articles and statistics from studies done by
national associations including the U.S. Department of Health and The National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA). These sources gave national statistics that showed how Utah
compared with other states when it came to prescription drug abuse.
To find more statistics and also some tables and graphs that are used later in the
report, an online database known as EBSCOhost provided useful information. By using
the search bar, and searching for articles related to drug abuse in Utah, there was a
substantial amount of useful information that was found.
The information taken from each of these sources included national statistics as
well as information from medical doctors, pharmacologists, psychiatrists and other
professionals who are heavily involved with this topic. Many of these people conducted
studies about the abuse of prescription drugs and how it can be prevented.
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FINDINGS
Included in the report from KSL news were the results of a study that took place
in Utah between October of 2008 and October of 2009. Researchers performed a study on
people who died of drug overdoses during that year. Of the 468 people that died due to
drug overdoses, more than half of them died due to the overuse of prescription drugs.
In a similar report from The Salt Lake Tribune, R. Gil Kerlikowskie, who is the
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated that prescription drugs in
Utah are easily adopted (or “diverted”, as he calls it) for illegal use. Kerlikowskie states
that more than 70 percent of those who have abused prescription drugs say thy received
them from a friend or a family member or someone else who was close to them.
Kerlikowskie alludes to the fact that people don’t seem to understand the dangers of
abusing prescription drugs (Kerlikowskie).
Because of this lack of understanding people are not disposing of leftover
medication like they should. The table on page 5 was taken from the Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report, which is a weekly health and illness digest published by the
National Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The table’s statistics are from the
Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Survey which was taken in 2008. Of the 5,000 people
surveyed, 72 percent of them had left over medication. 71 percent of those with left over
medication did not dispose of it as they were directed by pharmacists to do.
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Dr. David Sundwall discussed the reason for the high amount of prescription drug
overdoses in Utah in a KSL news article. He said that the main factor going into
prescription drug abuse is the fact that prescription drugs are over produced and over
prescribed (Lindsay). The majority of people who are prescribed medication usually end
up having leftovers. This leftover medication will often end up in the hands of family
members or friends.
The argument that prescription drugs are over produced and over prescribed is
further discussed in a statement made by Christie Porucznik, who works for the Utah
Department of Health. In an article found in The Deseret News, Porucznik said, “the
supply of prescription painkillers in Utah is higher than the U.S. average”. The amount of
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prescription drugs produced correlates directly with the demand for them. There is a
higher demand for prescription drugs in Utah than in other states, therefore, there is also
more medication being produced. The most commonly abused drugs in Utah are opioids,
or prescription painkillers.
The abuse of prescription painkillers is the number one cause of injury related
death in Utah. Margaret Pruitt, who is the grant coordinator for a drug abuse awareness
committee known as The Know More Program, said, “Prescription narcotic overdoses
kill more people than car crashes each year”. Utah has seen a 400 percent increase in
prescription overdose deaths since 2000.” Within ten years, if these overdoses continue
to happen at the same rate, prescription painkiller abuse will be the number one cause of
death in Utah, surpassing heart disease and cancer.
Other prescription drugs that are commonly abused in Utah are drugs prescribed
to help with clinical depression. In a study conducted by Mental Health America (MHA),
Utah was found to have the most cases of clinical depression of any state in America. The
study showed that10.14 percent of Utah’s adults experience a depressive episode and
14.58 percent experience serious psychological distress within the period of one year.
Also, 10.14 percent of Utah’s adolescents experience some sort of serious psychological
distress within the period of one year. The graph on page 6 shows the percentage
comparison of cases of depression in Utah compared to that of other states.
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Mental Health America found that the cases of depression in Utah are nearly
twice the amount of the national average. Because there are so many people in Utah who
are clinically depressed, more anti-depressants are being prescribed. This leads to more
cases of prescription drug abuse.
DISCUSSION
There are many theories about why prescription drug abuse is so prevalent in the
state of Utah. Through the research and findings explained previously, it was found that
there are many different factors that go into the many cases of Utahan prescription drug
abuse.
One of these factors is that the overproduction of prescription drugs. Because of
the inflated amount of prescriptions, not all of the medication is being used and most of
the extra medication is not being disposed of. The leftover medication often falls into the
hands of others, giving them an opportunity to consume medication that was never
prescribed to them. This leads to prescription drug abuse.
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Another factor that goes into why medication is so prevalently abused in Utah is
the many cases of clinical depression in the state. Psychiatrists point to several factors
that could contribute to Utah's high levels of depression. The possibilities include limited
mental health resources, restricted access to treatment as a result of cost, poor quality of
resources, an underfunded educational system and a culture deeply rooted in the Mormon
faith, which emphasizes the importance of hard work and strict obedience. Because so
many people in Utah struggle with clinical depression, the use of anti-depressants in Utah
is over twice of the national average (Goldman).
Prescription drug use in Utah is also generally accepted whereas the use of any
illicit drug in frowned upon. Kye Nordfelt, coordinator for the Utah County Substance
Misuse and Abuse Reduction Team, said, “The community norms here do not condone
any illicit drug use, but community norms don’t necessarily say anything against
prescription drug abuse. There’s no value to heroin, but there is value to prescription pain
medication (Van Dusen).” Utah seems to be unaware of the dangers that prescription
drugs can pose if not used properly. Because generally nothing is said against the use of
prescription drugs they are viewed as “free game” and their use is often taken to far.
Prescription drug abuse can be prevented and there are many people actively
working to ensure that prevention takes place. Dr. David Sundwall said that the best ways
to prevent prescription drug abuse are to take prescriptions only as directed by Doctors,
and to dispose of leftover medication. Doing this would dramatically reduce many of the
deaths in Utah that happen due to prescription drug abuse.
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Works Cited
Anderson, David. “Medical Group Discusses Prescription Drug Abuse.” The Richfield
Reaper. The Richfield Reaper, 07 September 2010. Web. 15 Sep 2010.
http://www.richfieldreaper.com/articles/2010/09/09/news
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.” Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 19 February 2010. Web. 17 Sep
2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml
Depression: What You Need to Know. NMHA, Web. 15 Sep 2010.
http://www.nmha.org/go/information/info/depression
Goldman, Russell. "Two Studies Find Depression Widespread in Utah."
www.abcnews.go.com. ABC News, 07 March 2008. Web. 8 Dec 2010.
Kerlikowske, R. Gil. “Prescription Drug Abuse Increase in Utah.” Salt Lake Tribune. Salt
Lake Tribune, 16 July 2010. Web. 15 Sep 2010.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion
Lindsay, Bruce. “Prescription Drug Abuse.” www.ksl.com. KSL, 11 April 2010. Web. 15
Sep 2010. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=750
Poruckznik, Christie. “Utah No. 1 in Prescription Drug Abuse.” Find Articles. Deseret
News, 06 March 2007. Web. 15 Sep 2010.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles
The Take Away. Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise. WGBH Boston: Boston, 21 June
2010. Radio. 15 Sep 2010.
Van Dusen, Carrie. "You are here: Home » News » Health » Prescription drug overdose
deaths rampant in Utah Prescription drug overdose deaths rampant in Utah." UWire 17
May 2010: n. pag. Web. 8 Dec 2010.