Recovery Navigators Provide Path to Treatment for Tennessee Addicts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - A team of reformed addicts is meeting Tennessee's opioid crisis head-on, speaking with people in their weakest moments to provide a path to treatment. Richard Johnston, Cheryl Coon, and Patrick Starnes have all stared down addiction. But these three, along with eight others, have teamed up across four counties and the tri-cities. All 11 make up the Tennessee Recovery Navigators, with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Servi
Tennessee Lawmakers Want to Prosecute Moms of Drug-Exposed Babies and That's Wrong | Opinion
A Nashville-area laboratory that analyzes drug tests from across the country says last year it found fentanyl urine samples along side other drugs. Ayrika L Whitney, The Tennessean Under a proposed Tennessee law, drug-dependent pregnant women will shun the critical care they need to avoid being stigmatized and prosecuted. If some state lawmakers have their way, pregnant women who misuse opioids or other drugs will soon face criminal charges if their babies are born exposed to
Eight Recovery Court Graduates Celebrated Sobriety Wednesday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Davidson County General Sessions Recovery Court held graduation today at the Birch Building in Downtown Nashville. Each graduate received a certificate and a coin. Their families were on hand to support them. The guest speaker was Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Steve Dozier. One member of the class passed away before completing the program. At the end of the program, the class gave Judge Robinson a standing ovation and presented him with a spec
SHOUT OUT to TN's Network of Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (ROPS).
SHOUT OUT to TN's network of Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (ROPS). Today we are announcing a milestone - confirming 35,000 units of naloxone distributed, and 1,450 trainings held, reaching more than 32,000 statewide since the program began in Oct. 2017 to present. The program has documented more than 2,000 lives saved as a result of naloxone, but we believe the actual number is higher than reported for a number of reasons including the stigma of addiction. “This is
Cost of Opioid Crisis Keeps Going Up & You're Paying for It
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Tennessee and the nation have been battling the fentanyl and opioid crisis for nearly a decade. Taxpayers fund the war on this deadly epidemic -- and no one seems to be able to say exactly how much it is costing us. TBI Director David Rausch puts it this way: "It's going to be a large number, I mean, I would tell you I would not hesitate to say we are at better than 50-percent of what we utilize to keep our state safe is being utilized to address thi
Recovery Programs Evolve to Treat the Whole Person
Kristie Wolbers was the only nursing student in her graduating class to go into behavioral health. "My patients who had substance use disorder and mental health disorders were treated like second class citizens," Wolbers said. "They were treated as though it is a matter of willpower, and they were looked at as less than. I knew in my heart, it's a chronic disease." After 20 plus years in the field, Wolbers is finally seeing addiction treatment expand beyond acute detox. "What
Need for Narcan on the Rise in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - The opioid crisis is causing a strain across the state, but relief lies in a nasal spray. Narcan (naloxone) doses have been administered by the thousands since 2017, a large portion of which coming from the state. "Really, with naloxone distribution, we are taking that head on," said Matthew Parriott with the State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services department. "We are preventing untold number of deaths through this program." The program spli
Fentanyl's Potency Creates Hurdle in Fighting Opioid Overdoses
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Overdose deaths are skyrocketing across the country from synthetic opioids. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, much of the overdoses stem from illicitly-manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid health experts call dangerously potent. A woman, News 2 is naming Sarah out of confidentiality, knows this all too well. What began as a way to treat pain after a visit to the dentist, evolved into a 25-year addiction to opioids.
Tennessee First Responders Face Deadly Dilemma When Confronting Fentanyl
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - The calls never stop, and the risk is only greater. They come with increased danger, as police, fire and EMT’s are dealing with the deadliest drug in America. "As recently as last week I had one of my officers exposed to fentanyl,” explained a Tennessee police captain. “It required a trip to the emergency room, and several hours of follow up care to get him back on his feet." First responders are the first lines of defense, and the first to be expose
Suspect Known as "Boogie" Linked to Overdoses, Captured in Nashville
CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) - The search is over for a man accused of dealing heroin who escaped from deputies. He's known by the name "Boogie" but police say his real name is Dylan Wilson The Cheatham County Sheriff says Wilson escaped from deputies earlier this week. The Sheriff calls him a "known heroin user and a suspected dealer" responsible for several overdoses. Metro police caught Wilson Wednesday night and sent him back to the Cheatham County jail. There is no word