Media Release: State Leaders to Announce New Developments in Utah’s Fight Against Fentanyl

Salt Lake City, UT — On Monday, July 14 at 10:30 a.m., Utah’s top leaders in public safety, health, and drug enforcement, alongside federal partners, will hold a press conference to share a progress update on the Governor’s Fentanyl Task Force.

Since its launch in 2024, the Task Force has made significant progress in addressing the fentanyl crisis by coordinating efforts and implementing targeted solutions. It has brought together law enforcement, public health, local organizations, and the legislature.

Commissioner Beau Mason of the Department of Public Safety will outline major accomplishments, including:

• Utah’s first-ever integrated fentanyl dashboard;
• A statewide fentanyl education campaign is underway;
• Record drug seizure data from the State Bureau of Investigation, including the second-largest fentanyl bust in department history;
• And the first successful application of HB87, a new law increasing penalties for fentanyl trafficking.

“With the help of strong legislative tools and aggressive enforcement, Utah is sending a clear message to traffickers,” said Commissioner Mason. “This task force is about saving lives, disrupting networks, and supporting every corner of our state in this fight.”

Representative Matthew Gwynn, who sponsored House Bill 87, will speak about the law’s impact since it went into effect earlier this year. HB87 makes trafficking 100 grams or more of fentanyl a first-degree felony and is already being used in major investigations.

Deputy Director Nathan Checketts from the Department of Health and Human Services will present encouraging early data showing a 1.5% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024, with preliminary 2025 numbers continuing the downward trend, especially in fentanyl-related fatalities.

Keith Weis, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain HIDTA, will present statewide and regional trafficking trends, including a 70% increase in fentanyl seizures in Utah during the first half of 2025 and the growing concern of carfentanil presence in local drug supplies.

“This unified effort across public safety and public health is driving meaningful results,” said Weis. “But the threat is evolving, and our response must be too.”
 

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MEDIA KIT:
Access b-roll and supporting materials here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-qRR8APZRdWz3JwmsCOkjoKu-fuJkxoA

MEDIA CONTACT:
Hillary Koellner
DPS Director of Communications and Public Affairs
[email protected]
385-296-4311