Fentanyl deaths in Utah: What to know about the deadly drug

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration , seven out of 10 pills seized by the organization contain a lethal dose — just 2mg — of fentanyl.

All the fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in 2024 (so far) represent 280 million deadly doses, according to the organization. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah said 67% of overdose deaths in 2021 in Utah were related to opioids, and 29% were fentanyl-related.

ABC4.com spoke with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to understand more about the deadly drug.

“We look at drugs and trends, and in the last 20 years, drugs have changed,” Tricia Bishop explained.

Bishop is the overdose prevention harm reduction coordinator with the DHHS. She explained that prescription drugs from pharmacies are safe — but while people may not be buying fentanyl directly, it can be mixed with other street drugs.

“Medications that somebody might not know where it came from, illicit drugs pressed into pills that look like drugs that might have come from a pharmacy but they don’t know where they got them from — that’s the risk,” Bishop said. “We don’t know what might be put into those pills, what might be in those drugs.”

In a July 2024 press release , the DEA explained that fentanyl pills are inexpensive to produce and purchase in Utah.

“Deadly fentanyl pills are incredibly cheap to produce – $.02-$.04 per pill – and are selling for $5-$6 each in Salt Lake City. Rural areas see even higher per-pill prices,” the DEA said.

Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2024, 774,000 fentanyl pills were seized in Utah — beating the number of pills seized in the entirety of 2023 in just six months, according to the DEA .

Bishop explained that because fentanyl is cheap and opioids are addictive, mixing fentanyl with other drugs can create a stronger addiction. The DHHS said fentanyl accounts for about 80% of overdose deaths among children below the age of 17 years old.

“We’ve done a great job of getting our prescription drug use — and overuse of prescription drugs — in check,” Bishop said. “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.”

More information and resources can be found on opidemic.utah.gov .

What is fentanyl?

“Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic,” the DEA explained .

However, while it is legally manufactured and distributed in the United States, the DEA said fentanyl is often abused after it is illicitly distributed. The drug is classified as Schedule II , which means it has a high potential for abuse, according to the DEA.

Fentanyl is significantly more potent than both morphine and heroin, the DEA said. When ingested, the drug can cause people to feel relaxed or euphoric. However, the DEA said fentanyl can also cause confusion, dizziness, or nausea, among other effects .

“Overdose can cause stupor, changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis, coma, and respiratory failure leading to death,” the DEA said.

The DEA has provided a fact sheet that has more information on the effects of the drug and the symptoms of an overdose.

Renisha Mall contributed to reporting.

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