Facing the Costs
Nashville Tennessean USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE Substance abuse annually costs Tennessee more than $2 billion — more than half of which is attributed to lost income from people who have fallen out of the the labor market, according to an economist. The substance abuse epidemic — most notably involving opioids — raises questions about access to treatment, how to stem the illicit use of prescription painkillers and staunch the use of illegal drugs. But the economic impact is
A Year in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic
As we look back on 2017 in the fight against the opioid epidemic, we've seen the amount of overdoses in our community hit an all-time high, task forces formed to fight back and treatment programs help people recover and live a life free of addiction. The fight has been full of heartache, hope and help. Heartache For Joni Laymon, the loss of a loved one weighs heavy. "This is where I come visit him, he's always with me right here," she said near her son's grave. Joni is one mo
Opioids Linked to Hep C Uptick
Knoxville News Sentinel USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE The United States’ overall rate of hepatitis C infection more than doubled from 2004 to 2014 — and among people under 40, it increased by 300 to 400 percent. The reason for the jump? Transmission through injecting opioid drugs, said a report published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health. Lead author Jon Zibbell, senior public health analyst in the Behavioral and Urban Health program of Atlanta-based RTI Healt
Knoxville Police Urging Families to Keep an Eye on Addicts Over the Holidays
It's a time of year many think about family, presents, and spending time together but for KPD's drug related death's task force it's a time for concern. "Some people especially those that are struggling with addiction deal with the stress or deal with the stress by attempting to self-medicate,” said Sgt. Josh Shaffer. Across the county suspected overdose deaths are rising. Knox County registered 170 in 2017, 224 in 2016, and 273 this year. Sargent Shaffer says his team is wor
Tennessee "Takes Back" More Prescription Drugs Than Any Other State
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you may not know someone in your house could be struggling with an addiction. And what is in your medicine cabinet could be fueling that addiction. During the last national prescription drug “Take-Back Day,” Tennessee collected more unused prescription drugs than any other state. Evan Radtke began abusing prescription pills at the age of 24. “It is nothing personal to the people we take it from,” said Radtke
State Collects Record Number of Unused Prescriptions in National Drug Drop-Off Day
Last month, Tennessee collected more unused prescription drugs than any other state in the nation, marking one bright spot in an opioid epidemic that is claiming more lives each year than car accidents and has lowered the average U.S. life expectancy. On Oct. 28, Tennesseans dropped off more than 68,000 pounds of prescription drugs at collection points around the state operated by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency as part of a national prescription drug "Take-Back Day." Ten
Drug Court Christmas Breakfast Celebrates Second Chances
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - Christmas breakfast never tasted so good at Judge Seth Norman’s Davidson County drug court. For 20 years, the founder of this groundbreaking residential treatment program has been cooking the holiday meal himself. “I think they’re entitled to have a good Christmas, and that’s what we’re trying to do for them,” Norman said. Since 1996, thousands of convicted drug offenders have come through this 18-month program, which includes heavy doses of therapy and
Nashville Sues Opioid Manufacturers to Recoup Costs of Fighting Epidemic
Metro government filed suit late Friday against multiple manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids, making Nashville the latest local municipality in Tennessee to turn to court to try to recover public dollars spent in the national opioid epidemic. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, had been expected after the Metro Council on Tuesday finalized approval of a contract with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, a law f
New Law Changes Who Enforces Marijuana Laws in Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new law will change who enforces marijuana laws in Tennessee. WBIR-TV reports a law taking effect in January removes the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission from the Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication. The push to remove the commission began in 2012, when WSMV-TV reported law enforcement discovered what they believed to be marijuana in the home of the commission's director. Police never did a criminal investigation and the director re
Metro Files Lawsuit Against Prescription Opioid Manufacturers
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - Each day, more than 100 Americans are killed by opioids. Now, Nashville’s Metro government and Davidson County have filed a lawsuit against the distributors and manufacturers of prescription opioid drugs. Mark Chalos is the managing partner of the firm representing Metro Nashville and Davidson County. He says the purpose of this lawsuit is to recover taxpayer money and resources spent to combat the opioid epidemic in the Nashville community. “There is n