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 solved only by prosecution.

“Again, we can prosecute, and prosecutions are warranted and valid, but we’ve got to make sure we can treat people — whether it’s opioids, meth, or any other drug or alcohol — so they can be on a path to recovery and become productive citizens in our communities,” Kustoff said.

Kustoff’s visit came shortly after the Tennessee Department of Health released new information that showed 1,631 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses in 2016, an increase from 1,451 deaths in 2015.

“It makes me optimistic that you have good centers like Aspell that treat people when they are at the lowest points in their lives and can put them on a path toward recovery, and in recovery,” Kustoff said. “The statistics here are the people who graduate here, which is above the national average, and dial it back even further, according to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, one out of six Tennesseans misuse or abuse opioids. It’s an alarming statistic.”

“(The money would) give law enforcement additional tools they need to apprehend those drug dealers — opioids and all the other drugs on the interstates,” he said.

Read the full story in The Jackson Sun.