NEW HOT LINE AIMED AT REDUCING DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS

Jack Plumb watched his son spend time in three separate drug treatment
facilities -- and in Utah State Prison -- for a heroin addiction. In
the months after Andrew Plumb was released, he would relapse. That was the
cycle for two years, until May 14, 1996, when he died from an overdose at
the age of 22. His friends, who had been using drugs with him, left him
dead in a room.

"It happened to me," said Jack Plumb, a member of Salt Lake City's Drug and
Alcohol Policy Task Force. "Unfortunately, it's happening to other people.
It's time we start addressing [drug overdoses]." The Salt Lake
City-based Intermountain Harm Reduction Project is taking another step in
trying to address the increasing trend of drug overdoses in Utah. On
Tuesday, the project introduced a toll-free hot line to Utah --
1-866-STOP-ODS -- for family, friends and users who fear a drug overdose is
imminent or just need help dealing with addiction.

The hot line is open around the clock and gives callers information about
overdose prevention, signs of an overdose, what to do if an overdose
occurs, where to find treatment and grief counselors for those who have
witnessed an overdose death, said Luciano Colonna, the executive director
of the Harm Reduction Project. The hot line also tells callers to call 911
if there is a medical emergency.

The number of people dying statewide from recreational drug overdoses has
been on the rise for a decade. In 1991, there were 20. In 1998, there were
138 deaths, and there were 148 in 2001, according to the state Medical
Examiner's Office.

Drug overdose was the leading killer of males ages 15 to 44 between 1991
and 1999 in Salt Lake County, the project said.

Colonna intends to introduce the hot line, which is funded by a private
foundation, in New York City and then take it nationwide. The project has
also bought a billboard at 5600 W. 2800 South that gives the telephone
number as well as suggestions for staying alive while using. They are:
Don't use alone, learn CPR, know your tolerance, it is risky to mix drugs
and call 911. The billboard does not suggest abstinence from illegal drugs.

"We're trying to reduce death due to overdose," Colonna said. "Obviously,
abstinence is a wonderful thing to push, but we are targeting the active
drug users and they've already heard the 'Just Say No' message." The
project focuses on reducing drug users' risky behavior and keeping them
disease-free and alive when they choose to quit.