PRESCRIPTION DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS RISING IN UTAH

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Health officials say the number of deaths related to prescription drug overdoses in Utah is on the rise.

The Utah Department of Health said Wednesday that 310 state residents died last year from medication overdoses, up from 277 in 2008.

They say prescription drug overdoses kill more people in Utah each year than car crashes.

Of those who overdosed last year, the youngest was 17, the oldest was 86 and the average age was 41. About 90 percent involved pain-killing narcotics known as opioids.

Officials at the State Medical Examiner's office say Utah has seen a 400 percent increase in prescription drug deaths since 2000.

Health department director David Sundwall says stopping overdoses should be a top health priority in the state.

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