Substance use disorders, including those stemming from the opioid epidemic, have reached crisis levels throughout the United States, and Utah is no exception. In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, a number that has doubled in the past decade.
From 2013–2015, 776 Utah women died from a drug overdose. Women are more likely to be prescribed opioids and to develop an addiction more easily when compared to men. As substance use disorders have serious negative effects on individuals, families, and communities, understanding and working to reduce this epidemic is imperative to improving the lives of women throughout the state.
This episode discusses some of the highlights from a November 2018 research snapshot on this topic with Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, and Robbyn Scribner, lead researcher on the report.