TODAY MARKS INTERNATIONAL
OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY--
WHICH AIMS TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE
THAT THE TRAGEDY OF
OVERDOSE DEATH IS PREVENTABLE.
OPIODS MAKE UP FOR NEARLY 70
PERCENT OF ALL DRUG OVERDOSE
DEATHS IN THE US-- ACCORDING TO
THE C-D-C.
ASHLEY SHARP FOUND OUT HOW THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC IS
IMPACTING OUR REGION.
AMID A GLOBAL PANDEMIC--
COVID-19 ISN'T THE ONLY THING
HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED
ABOUT-- THE UNITED STATES IS
STILL CAUGHT IN THE GRIP OF A
DRUG EPIDEMIC-- AND OVERDOSE
DEATHS ARE ON THE RISE.
I SPOKE WITH THE CARTER COUNTY
AND SULLIVAN COUNTY DRUG
PREVENTION COALITIONS-- TO FIND
OUT HOW THEY ARE HELPING
OUR COMMUNITY ON THIS
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF
AWARENESS.
DRUG USE IS ON THE RISE IN
TENNESSEE..
WHICH MEANS THE DANGER OF
OVERDOSE DEATHS GROWS BY THE
DAY.
JILLIAN "THE THING THAT IS
REALLY UNFORTUNATE WITH THE
COVID
PANDEMIC IS WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT A
30 PERCENT INCREASE IN
OVERDOSES STATEWIDE."
AMID THE PANDEMIC-- THINGS LIKE
ISOLATION AND INCREASED
ANXIETY ARE LEADING TO INCREASED
DRUG USE-- AND
RELAPSE.
SHERRY "HOPEFULLY AS COVID
STARTS LETTING UP IF IT
DOES WE CAN START HITTING A
DOWNWARD TREND."
/
"FOR RIGHT NOW IT'S A FIGHT THAT
IS NEVER ENDING AND THE NUMBERS
KEEP GOING UP."
SHERRY BARNETT HEADS THE
SULLIVAN COUNTY DRUG COALITION
AS THE REGION'S OVERDOSE
PREVENTION SPECIALIST..
6 YEARS SOBER FROM HER OWN
ADDICTION-- HER EVERY DAY FIGHT
IS NOW SHIFTED TO HELPING OTHERS
FIND RECOVERY.
SHERRY "I NEED PEOPLE TO KNOW
THAT WE DO RECOVER AND THAT
WE DO LEAD PRODUCTIVE LIVES."
JUST THIS MONTH -- FOR SULLIVAN
COUNTY ALONE-- THE T-B-I REPORTS
97 OVERDOSES SINCE MARCH 1ST--
WITH 22 DEATHS.
THAT AVERAGES TO ONE OVERDOSE A
WEEK.
"EVERYBODY HAS VALUE.
EVERY PERSON WITH SUBSTANCE SUE
DISORDER, EVER PERSON
DESERVES TO FIND RECOVERY.
THE ONLY THING WE DON'T RECOVER
FROM IS DEATH."
WHICH IS WHY NARCAN IS HER MAIN
FOCUS-- THROUGHOUT
NORTHEAST TENNESSEE BARNETT
WORKS TO DISTRIBUTE
AROUND 1000 NARCAN NALOXONE KITS
A MONTH-- A DRUG THAT
REVERSES AN OPIOD OVERDOSE.
SHE SAYS COMMUNITY ACCESS TO
NARCAN IS
CRUCIAL.
SHERRY "WE EVEN TEACH HIGH
SCHOOL KIDS AND ADOLESCENTS
HOW TO USE NARCAN.
BECAUSE WE KNOW MOST MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOLS KIDS ARE MORE
AWARE OF THEIR PARENTS ADDICTION
OR GRANDPARENTS
ADDICTION THAN OTHER INDIVIDUALS
ARE."
AND FOR LOCAL DRUG COALITIONS--
THEY SAY STOPPING
OVERDOSE DEATHS-- STARTS WITH
EDUCATION AND A
CONVERSATION.
JILLIAN "WE KNOW THAT JUST
CHANGING THE COMMUNITY NORM
TO WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND TALK ABOUT
MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, REALLY
ENCOURAGING
PEOPLE TO GO GET HELP, THAT'S
WHAT THEY NEED.
THE CHANCE OF OVERDOSING IS MUCH
LOWER IF PEOPLE ARE
WILLING TO REACH OUT FOR HELP."
A FEW EVENTS ARE HAPPENING TODAY
-- CARTER COUNTY DRUG
PREVENTION IS HOSTING A ZOOM
CONVERSATION ABOUT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE WITH SEVERAL
SPEAKERS -- SULLIVAN COUNTY
IS HOLDING A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
TONIGHT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
DIED FORM DRUG OVERDOSE AT 8:30
AT CHRIST FELLOWSHIP IN
KINGSPORT.
THIS MORNING -- SOME STUDENTS
WITH JOHNSON CITY SCHOOLS
