Harwell ‘Open’ to Medical Marijuana Law in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The treatment of her sister’s back injury has caused Republican gubernatorial candidate Beth Harwell to reevaluate Tennessee’s ban on medical marijuana. Harwell, who is speaker of the state House of Representatives, told a Republican gathering earlier this month that allowing medical marijuana has come up as part of a discussion about how to tackle the state’s opioid crisis. The longtime Nashville representative said her sister was recently prescribed
Don't Blame Addicts for America's Opioid Crisis. Here are the Real Culprits
f all the people Donald Trump could blame for the opioid epidemic, he chose the victims. After his own commission on the opioid crisis issued an interim report this week, Trump said young people should be told drugs are “No good, really bad for you in every way.” The president’s exhortation to follow Nancy Reagan’s miserably inadequate advice and Just Say No to drugs is far from useful. The then first lady made not a jot of difference to the crack epidemic in the 1980s. But T
Harwell ‘Open’ to Medical Marijuana Law in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The treatment of her sister’s back injury has caused Republican gubernatorial candidate Beth Harwell to reevaluate Tennessee’s ban on medical marijuana. Harwell, who is speaker of the state House of Representatives, told a Republican gathering earlier this month that allowing medical marijuana has come up as part of a discussion about how to tackle the state’s opioid crisis. The longtime Nashville representative said her sister was recently prescribed
Metro Police to Begin Administering Opioid Overdose-Reversing Drug Naloxone
Metro police will soon begin carrying and administering an overdose-reversing drug, the latest announcement in Nashville's effort to address opioid abuse. The Metro Nashville Police Department said Friday that its officers were preparing to be armed with naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, which can be given to someone suffering from an opioid overdose. In June, the department requested a prescription for 790 naloxone kits — each including two 4-milligram doses and
Metro Nashville Police Equip Officers with Opioid Antidote
The Metro Nashville Police Department will outfit its officers with the opioid antidote Narcan. The department has received 790 Narcan kits on June 30 for just under $60,000. Each kit contains two 4 mg doses of the drug in nasal spray applicators. “The Medical Examiner’s Office tells us that, during the first five months of this year alone, at least 87 deaths were related to opiates or opioids,” Chief Steve Anderson said. “That figure underscores the necessity of our officer
Campbell County Program Helps ‘Relatives Raising Relatives’
LAFOLLETTE (WATE) – The opioid epidemic has touched just about every family in one way or another, as well as so many children. In Campbell County alone, the majority of children removed from their homes are placed with a relative. In most instances, it’s a grandparent on a fixed income, with limited resources, now raising kids again. The Campbell County Children’s Center offers a program just for those “new” parents called “Relatives Raising Relatives.” Tabitha Metcalf and h
Judge Who’s Also a Funeral Director Sees Devastating Impact of Drug Use
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Few people see the impact of the opioid crisis in Tennessee more vividly than Gale Robinson. Robinson is a Davidson County General Sessions Court judge by morning, and by afternoon he runs the Phillips Robinson Funeral Home. He is the third generation of Robinson to run the family business. Sadly, in both of his professions, Robinson sees the devastating effects of the drug epidemic. As judge, he presides over a courtroom where many of the defendants
East Tennessee Part of Pilot Program to Track Opioid Fraud
East Tennessee is receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Justice for a pilot program focused on fighting opioid-related health care fraud. DOJ representatives were in Knoxville Tuesday to announce details of the program. The Eastern District of Tennessee was selected alongside 11 other districts out of 94 total across the country to participate in the DOJ's Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. The 12 districts are areas with "a significant prescription opioid problem
The Opioid Epidemic in TN: Background on Reducing Demand for Opioids
Tennessee has made progress in reducing the supply of prescription opioids by targeting efforts to improve provider prescribing practices and reducing the number of pill mills. However, the epidemic is evolving with individuals appearing to switch from prescription opioids to illicit and stronger opioids like heroin and fentanyl. At the same time, opioid overdoses and the number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) continue to rise. The nature of addiction
Max Barry Died from Combination of Several Drugs, Including Two Opioids, Autopsy Shows
Max Barry, son of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, died from a combination of several drugs, including opioids, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office in Colorado. Drugs found in Max Barry following his death were Xanax, marijuana and two opioids — liquid methodone and hydromorphone. The autopsy also showed that he had recently used cocaine. Max Barry, 22, died at a home that a friend was housesitting on Saturday, July 29, in Li