October 22, 2017 Anita Wadhwani Jessica Carter was in bed with her boyfriend, still high on methamphetamines and painkillers, when members of a Williamson County drug task force busted down the door with guns drawn. Carter, her boyfriend and boyfriend’s brother were each charged with the same 11 drug-related felony offenses. Ten months later, the two men […]
Miss Tennessee tackles opioid epidemic
October 17, 2017 Elizabeth Fite The effects of substance abuse and the opioid epidemic have hit close to home for Miss Tennessee 2017 Caty Davis. Her grandfather, father and half-brother all battled addiction, but Davis said her position as Miss Tennessee gives her a great opportunity to change the conversation surrounding drugs and alcohol. “My […]
Tennesseans turn in mountain of pills, but fight against opioids rages
October 15, 2017 Holly Fletcher Tennesseans surrendered more than 35,489 pounds of pills and pill waste in two days over the last year in collection events sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. And there was an additional 52,164 pounds collected at permanent drop-off sites around the state between September 2016 and August 2017, according to […]
Sen. Alexander kicks off series of Capitol Hill hearings addressing opioid crisis
October 6, 2017 Elizabeth Fite Members of the U.S. Senate Health Committee heard Thursday that more research will be needed if they are to combat the nation’s opioid addiction crisis. “Addiction is a powerful force, driven by the powerful ways in which opioids literally can rewire the brain,” said National Institutes of Health Director Dr. […]
Rep. David Kustoff tours Aspell Recovery Center, discusses opioids
September 21, 2017 Omer Yusuf U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) recently visited the Aspell Recovery Center in Jackson and saw how the center is assisting those recovering from drug addiction. Kustoff said after his tour of the center, the U.S. — and West Tennessee — is facing a “tremendous” drug problem, and one that cannot be […]
Tennessee overdose deaths jump 12% in 2016, as opioid crisis rages
September 18, 2017 Holly Fletcher The number of Tennesseans who died from drug overdoses spiked 12 percent from 2015 to 2016, largely due to growing use of opioid fentanyl. There were at least 1,631 Tennesseans who died in 2016 — up from 1,451 in 2015, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The number of […]
Opioid czar: Former pill abuser now battles drug epidemic in Tennessee
Sept. 1, 2017 Brad Schmitt He woke up hazy, face plastered against a long aluminum bench, looking up at two campus policemen staring back at him. A hot sun beat down on Neyland Stadium, which had emptied out hours earlier afterthe Tennessee/Mississippi State game in 1986. “Where’d everybody go?” Loyd slurred. The officers laughed — […]
We all have role to play in ending opioid crisis
August 26, 2017 Marie Chrisholm-Burns, Guest Columnist Opioids — medications used to treat pain and associated with euphoria — are responsible for as many as 91 overdose deaths every day in the United States. Today, opioid misuse is a national crisis. In fact, the government declared it an official national emergency earlier this month. Tennessee […]
Dying at home in pain doesn’t keep relatives from stealing the pills
August 21, 2017 Melissa Bailey Nothing seemed to help the patient — and the hospice staff didn’t know why. They sent home more painkillers for several weeks. But the elderly woman, who had severe dementia and incurable breast cancer, kept calling out in pain. The answer came when the woman’s daughter, who was taking care […]
Opioid-related hospitalizations more than triple for Tennessee seniors
August 14, 2017 Anita Wadhwani Pain pills are sending more senior citizens to the hospital in Tennessee, according to data that sheds new light on how opioid addiction has spread to the state’s aging population. The rate of hospitalizations for Tennesseans 65 years and older due to painkillers has more than tripled in a decade. Older adults are […]
