Utah’s drug related deaths increased 7.5% during the pandemic. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there's been an increase in opioid related deaths in Utah. From November 2019-2020 Utah saw a 7.5% jump in drug overdose related deaths. Nationwide, there was nearly a 30% increase. Health advocates and community members are now attempting to slow those numbers in the state. Gabriela Murza, with Utah State University’s HEART initiative — a public health program that aims to educate people about opioids — said the pandemic isolated people who needed help. “A lot of folks who might have been going to support groups meetings and getting treatment and going into recovery, a lot of those things had to stop,” Murza said.