Utah State Today announced this month that the USU Extension was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address health and safety issues impacting rural populations, specifically in northeast Utah. USU Extension’s $350,000 three-year grant will focus on reducing the impacts of opioid misuse in Duchesne, Uintah and Daggett counties through the TriCounty Overdose Prevention Program (TOPP). This program will provide overdose prevention and harm reduction education and outreach to occupational groups with a high risk of overdose death as well as populations facing health disparities in the region. “Everyone has the potential to develop a substance use disorder, but people with more of these common risk factors need resources and education to prevent or address addiction before it becomes deadly,” shares program director Aaron Hunt. “We are extremely grateful for this grant to help people impacted by substance use disorders and reduce overdose deaths.” Hunt says the grant will target individuals in occupations known to be at high risk for substance use and overdose death, such as construction, drilling, mining, manufacturing and the service industry.
