290 Utahns died of a fentanyl-involved overdose in 2023.
Several law enforcement officers and state officials stood on the basketball court at Cottonwood Park on Tuesday morning. The park is along the Jordan River Trail where Gov. Spencer Cox said agents often find people purchasing fentanyl pills. In that setting, Cox announced the state would form a new task force to combat the fentanyl epidemic.
Utah has seen a surge in fentanyl-involved deaths according to recently released data for 2023. Though other parts of the country have seen fatal drug overdoses drop, that has not been the case for Utah and other states in the West.
Tags: Fentanyl New Drug Trend Overdose Programs Task Force