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Fentanyl seizures up, overdose deaths down a year into task force

Early data also shows a 1.5% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024.

(Jordan Miller | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fentanyl pills seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration at their Salt Lake City office on April 4, 2024.

Since launching its fentanyl task force in 2024, the Utah Governor’s Office has made efforts to target the statewide drug crisis including launching a drug seizure statistics dashboard.

One of those efforts was supporting the passage of HB87, which makes trafficking 100 grams or more of fentanyl a first-degree felony.

The Utah Department of Public Safety reports, since January, the state has seen a 70% increase in law enforcement’s seizures of fentanyl.

Early data also shows a 1.5% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024, with preliminary 2025 numbers continuing the downward trend.

Read the full story at KPCW.org.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.