Students from Roseman University‘s South Jordan chapter of the Drug Abuse Awareness Team (DAAT) met Congressman Jim Matheson at the South Jordan Health Fair on President’s Day.
The students were providing information about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, tips for safely disposing of unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications, and taking medications that health fair participants dropped off for safe disposal, in partnership with the South Jordan Police Department.
Congressman Jim Matheson stopped by the South Jordan Health Fair, which was held at the South Jordan Recreation Center, and talked to the students about their efforts to reduce the number of unused and expired prescription and OTC medications in Utah.
Utah earned the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of prescription drug abuse in the United States, according to a federal study cited in a March 2007 Deseret News article. While the rate of prescription drug-related deaths in Utah has been steadily declining since 2007, and Utah is no longer the highest in the nation, prescription drug abuse remains high in the state, and contributes to more deaths every year than motor vehicle accidents, according to statistics available through the Utah Pharmaceutical Drug Crime Project’s (UPDCP) “Use Only As Directed” campaign.
Students in Roseman’s DAAT aim to help curb the widespread use of prescription medications, and educate children and parents about the potential dangers of prescription drugs.