While most Utahns have seen it on the news and billboards they know that opioids are dangerous, but the majority still do not know what an opioid is or what the common opioids are. This makes it difficult for them to know if they are at risk.
Angela Ito, Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Coordinator, Violence and Injury Prevention Program at the Utah Department of Health joined The PLACE to help educate us.
Ito says dependence can happen to anyone taking opioids long term (which can be as little as seven days).
The department's message of Stop the Opidemic is to know the risks of taking opioids and how to prevent addiction and overdose. Some of the names associated with opioids are Oxycodone, Codeine, Tramadol, Fentanyl and Methadone to name a few.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of these medications and suggest that something else can be used to treat the pain so there aren't as many risks for addiction and overdose.
For more information, please visit: opidemic.org.
