DHHS News

Talk to Your Pharmacist about the Dangers of Opioids

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – From 2002 to 2015, there was a 29.4 percent increase in the rate of prescription opioids dispensed in Utah. In 2015, this averaged to almost...
Last updated: April 27, 2017

NEWS ADVISORY: Talk to Your Pharmacist about the Dangers of Opioids

NEWS ADVISORY What: The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) and Utah Pharmacy Association will host a press conference to encourage Utahns to talk to their pharmacists about the dangers of...
Last updated: April 26, 2017

How Safe is the Playground Where Your Child Plays?

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – When the bell rings for recess, school children make a dash for the playground. But for nearly 1,700 Utah children attending public schools – enough...
Last updated: April 24, 2017

Empowering Bystanders to Stop Sexual Violence

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – One in three Utah women will experience some form of sexual violence during their lives. Studies also show that one in eight Utah women and...
Last updated: April 13, 2017

Preventing Youth Injury and Violence by Changing Social Norms

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – Injury is the leading cause of death for youth aged 1-19 in Utah. Today, state and local public health officials gathered at a summit sponsored...
Last updated: March 14, 2017

Utah Public Health Officials Issue Warning About Peanut Butter Substitute

(Salt Lake City, UT) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), multiple states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of E....
Last updated: March 9, 2017

Media contacts

For media inquiries, contact our on-call Public Information Officers (PIO) at:

Joe Dougherty, director of communications

News releases and media statements

Spanish news releases and media statements

We strive to provide all news releases and media statements in Spanish. Our language access team can provide translation services by contacting them at languageaccess.utah.gov.  

Our graphic and writing standards

Our agency name is the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Use DHHS if an acronym is needed. 

  • DHHS graphic standards—This guide outlines how to use our logo, colors, fonts, and imagery in printed and electronic media. 
  • DHHS logos 
  • DHHS writing style guide—This guide creates clear and consistent language and tone across all written products, both internal and external to our agency.

Media guides and safe messaging

How we talk about suicide, mental health, and traumatic events matters. When we follow safe messaging guidelines, we contribute to a hopeful narrative about triumph over adversity. We communicate that support is available. Safe messaging promotes resiliency, encourages help-seeking, publicizes prevention successes, and encourages actions to help prevent suicide. 

When writing about suicide, mental health, or traumatic events follow safe messaging guidelines. Here are some of our favorite resources.