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Show The Garfield County Insider RX DRUG DEATHS BACK ON THE RISE IN UTAH Prescription drug overdoses still kill more Utahns than car crashes The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) today announced the number of deaths associated with prescription drug overdoses in the state is once again on the rise. In 2009, 310 Utahns died of non-illicit drug overdose deaths, an increase from the 277 who died in 2008. Prescription drug overdoses are the number one cause of injury deaths in Utah, killing more people each year than car crashes. The deaths occurred equally among males and females and took place in 21 of Utah's 29 counties. The average age at time of death was 41 years; the youngest victim was just 17, and the oldest was 86. Nearly all of the deaths (89.3 percent) involved opioids such as oxycodone or methadone. "After a decrease in 2008, it's tremendously disheartening to see the number of deaths increasing again," said UDOH Executive Director Dr. David Sundwall. "We have a serious problem in this state, and in order to stop these unnecessary deaths we need to have a sustained effort to educate providers, patients and the general public about the potential harm associated with these drugs. In fact, I rank this near the top of public health priorities in Utah." According to the State Medical Examiner, Utah has experienced a 400 percent increase in prescription drug deaths since 2000. A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found Utah had the highest rate in the nation for nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers. In 2008, Utah experienced the largest decrease in prescription drug overdose deaths since 1994. The decrease came on the heels of legislative funding for the 'Use Only as Directed' campaign that addressed the problem through various intervention and education efforts. In addition to a statewide media campaign, 'Use Only as Directed' has developed guidelines to help physicians safely prescribe medications and has conducted extensive research into the causes of drug-related deaths. The funding for the provider and public education activities was provided as part of a two-year legislative appropriation which has since expired. "This problem is due to a complex set of factors and is unlikely to go away on its own," said UDOH State Epidemiologist Dr. Robert Rolfs. "Sustained and coordinated efforts by law enforcement, substance abuse prevention, health care providers, and public health will be needed if we are to prevent these avoidable deaths." Several organizations in Utah are combining efforts to combat the growing epidemic. The Utah Pharmaceutical Drug Crime Project is a collaboration among law enforcement, substance abuse providers and public health. The Department of Environmental Quality is coordinating statewide 'Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet' efforts to encourage proper disposal of unused medications. The state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health has named prescription drug abuse as a top priority. And a Utah physician has established the not-for-profit Zero Unintentional Deaths campaign. Dict Idatint Errol - 435-275-8628 - embutah@gmail.com Dis 6n9 Data Mark Twain has been know (forever) as having spoken some of the best 'quotes' of all time...we agree! Here are a few of the best: • If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. That is the principal difference between a dog & a man! • Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. • The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself. • A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs. • Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. • The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The RADICAL invents views. When he has worn them out the CONSERVATIVE adopts them! • A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain! • A lie can travle halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. • In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are, in almost every case, gotten at 2nd hand, and without examination! • It is curious that PHYSICAL courage should be so common in the world and MORAL courage so rare. • An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before. • Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. • The person who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the one who can't read them! • A CLASSIC is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read. • The difference between the RIGHT word and the ALMOST right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning BUG. • I (MT) have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington...He could not lie; I can, but I won't. • Suppose you were an idiot and suppose your were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself! • When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. • The Human Race has one really effective weapon...and that is LAUGHTER. • Let us so live that even the undertaker will be sorry. MAIMED AG MARKET NEWS OUR CARE FOR THE LAND TELLS OTHERS WHO WE ARE Receipts: 816; Last Week: 1,218. Last Year: 1,308. Feeder Steers: mixed wts under 600 lbs 2.00-3.00 lower; over 600 lbs 2.003.00 higher. Feeder Heifers: mixed wts under 550 lbs 2.00- 3.00 lower, wts over 550 lbs 2.00-3.00 higher. Holstein Steers: 2.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter Cows: 2.00-3.00 higher. Slaugher Bulls: steady. Feeder Steers: Medium and Large Frame 2: 200250 lbs 113.00-127.00; 250-300 lbs scarce; 300350 lbs scarce; 350-400 lbs 123.00-129.00; 400450 lbs 128.00-136.00; 450-500 lbs 121.00-133.50; 500-550 lbs 119.00-130.00; 550-600 lbs 119.00126.00; 600-650 lbs Utah's largest industry is 112.50- 125.00; 650-700 tourism and outdoor recrelbs 104.00-114.50; 700-750 ation. Southern Utah counlbs 106.25-112.75; 750- ties are especially economically dependent on visitors. 800 lbs 102.00-109.50; 800-850 lbs 103.75-107.25; The national parks, monuments, state parks, and large 850-900 lbs 97.25-99.50; tracts of public lands with 900-950 lbs pkg 98.75; space and scenery in every 950-1000 scarce. direction are very appealing Holsteins Steers: Large to visitors from many parts Frame 3: Baby Bull Calves: of the world. Even Ameriscarce; 200-300 lbs scarce; cans from crowded cities 300-500 lbs 76.00-89.50; and areas with mostly re500-700 lbs 73.00-83.50; stricted private land access 700-900 lbs 74.50-76.00; are drawn by the millions to our part of the planet. 900-1000 lbs 75.50-82.00. Young men and women Feeder Heifers: Medium from our area are dispatched and Large Frame 1-2: to many lands around the 200-250 lbs scarce; 250- world to explain our beliefs 300 lbs scarce; 300-350 and culture. Yet one has lbs 114.00-126.00; 350- to wonder what a visitor 400 lbs 119.00-127.00; from, let's say, France, Ja400-450 lbs 118.00- pan, Vermont, or elsewhere 125.00; 450-500 lbs who visits here would learn 113.50-126.00; 500-550 about us from looking over the area in which we live. lbs 110.00-121.00; 550Suppose, for example, 600 lbs 105.50-118.00; some tourists from Dela600-650 lbs 99.00-110.00; ware were to take a drive 650-700 lbs 100.25-108.50; down River Lane Road, 700-750 lbs 96.50-105.00; just outside Panguitch, to 750-800 lbs 98.50-104.00; look at the farms and farm 800-850 lbs 87.50-98.00; animals. Nice drive, right? 850-900 lbs 90.00-95.50; They might also notice the 900-950 lbs 88.00-96.00; sign that says that littering is a $300 fine. That is, if 950- 1000 lbs scarce. Heifthey are not too distracted erettes: 51.00-76.00. while looking at all the Stock Cows: Medium and roadside litter, mostly beer Large Frame 1: Few Pairs cans. If they were to con750.00-1,190.00; Few tinue north a few miles on Older Bred Cows: 685.00- the Bench Road, they could get a good idea of what one 790.00/hd. Slaughter Cows: Boning farmer's trash looks like. A 80-85% Lean: 58.00-69.75; large pile of trash is dumped Breaking 75-80% Lean: along the county road. Dead calves, baler twine and any57.25-69.75; Commercial: thing else you can imagine! scarce; Cutter 85-90% It's all part of the education Lean: 48.50-55.75. a visitor gets as they look Slaughter Bulls: Yield around our area. Grade 1000-1500 lbs They might take an65.00-70.50; 1500-1885 other ride out of town east lbs 75.00-79.75; Yield towards Casto Canyon or Grade 2 1000-1500 lbs west past Frandsen's Saw55.00-61.50; 1500-1950 lbs mill towards Five Mile Mountain to get a good 65.25-68.75. Feeder Bulls: look at the area. Unfortu945-1090 lbs 63.50-74.50. nately, there's the distrac- 1-14adlig_htj Lens RestoratiOn _ U13 Satisfaction Guaranteed Complete Auto Service & Repair SAFETY INSPECTIONS 475 East Center St. • Panguitch, Utah 435-676-8994 By Norman McKee tion of thrown away TV's, couches, freezers, and most everything else, but always the ever present beer cans and bottles, some intact, but many just broken glass. The Panguitch Lake Road is another very popular drive, but again, it has a lot of trash, especially from Panguitch through South Canyon. Alcohol containers are by far the dominant litter. The problem is similar outside most every town in Garfield, Kane, Wayne, and Piute Counties. Sadly, my past experience as an officer, taught me that it is generally our own residents that are causing most of the problem, not the visitors. Litter, to some extent, is nearly everywhere. Other types of trash is dumped helter-skelter at someone's convenience. We can do better. Archaeologists get excited when finding a trash dump from an ancient people. What will future archaeologists learn from our era after studying our system of depositing of unwanted items? I shutter to guess. I have traveled many areas of the United States and world. Sometimes, I think we seem to rank slightly above some of the world slums when it comes to keeping our area clean of trash. At least they re-cycle most everything of value. In our seemingly affluent society, throwing away unwanted or non-useful items is the way to go. Even our county dump in John's Valley is surrounded by several square miles of wind-blown plastic bags. We certainly display much more trash than nearly anywhere in Europe, Canada, and much of the United States. Why? Most visitors and local citizens are very or somewhat concerned for the quality of the environment. So the obvious answer is that there are those few among us who are very irresponsible and just don't care! They insist on doing their own thing no matter the consequences or how it affects anyone else. They also don't understand, or don't care, what impression it gives to tourists who visit our area and how it may ultimately affect the economy. I know of several landowners that originally closed access to camping and fishing on their lands largely due to the messes that just a few left on their properties. I strongly encourage all law enforcement officers, be they city, county, state, or federal to make a concerted effort to go after those that litter and trash our area. Many of those that habitually litter are already well known. In addition, we as homeowners and landowners can do our best to keep our property clean and tidy. Teach our family, friends and youth to be conscious of responsible habits. An even bigger concern, since nearly 80% of roadside litter is alcohol containers, is the obvious problem that many are driving while drinking. Do they assume that since they are driving on back roads it is OK? Wrong! ! Your son on his ATV or bike is also using that road. Perhaps, you and a friend are jogging in the area. Livestock and wildlife are along the road. Be concerned that the guy who spent all afternoon driving around on back roads drinking alcohol, now has to drive home along the highway, into town, and down your city street. That's right! the one that your kids or grandkids walk or bike along. Get the picture? These guys have got to stop this nonsense. Now! Both our safety and livelihood are threatened. We as a people all too often display who we are by how seriously we take our stewardship responsibility of the area where we live. Please make it a matter of habit to be clean in the outdoors. Take an additional bag or two on outings to pick up extra litter. We are responsible for our environment. Let's make it the best we can. We live in one of the most special areas of the world. Let us demonstrate by our actions that we really do care about keeping our lands clean and beautiful. |