Utah looks to capitalize on dip in opioid drug deaths

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah health officials say the state has one of the highest rates of opioid-related deaths in the country, but they’re noticing an encouraging dip in such fatalities and are working to push it down further.
State health officials launched a new campaign Wednesday to spread awareness about the dangers of opioids.
Lawmakers have introduced a handful of new plans meant to tighten control over prescription painkillers and new synthetic opioids like the drug known as pink, which police say was responsible for the overdose deaths of two teenagers.
A proposal from Democratic Rep. Carol Spackman Moss would list pink as an illegal substance in Utah.
State health officials say Utah has lowered the number of drug-related deaths from 25 per month to 23, though the death rate still ranks in the country’s top ten.