Fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid, has become increasingly prevalent and affordable in Utah, state law enforcement officials told lawmakers.
During a Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee meeting on Monday, lawmakers were shown "alarming data" from members of the Utah Department of Public Safety.
"Today we're seeing it close to a dollar. So the supply is there, to the point where it is extremely cheap," said Jensen, telling lawmakers "the best indication of how much we're not catching is based off the price on the street." Fentanyl started killing Utahns with increased frequency during that same timeframe. In 2018, the drug accounted for 8% of overdose deaths — by 2022, 33% of deaths were from fentanyl, surpassing prescription drugs and heroin, and second only to methamphetamine as the deadliest drug in the state.
"They're very good at what they do," Newell said of criminal groups in Mexico. "They do it all over the country, all over the world, and Utah is a target for them as any state is, where there's consumers. It's like a business, a trucking business or an airline business — they control routes." Over 70% of the fentanyl samples submitted to labs were counterfeit pills, sometimes meant to imitate less potent opioids, or other drugs, according to state data.
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