FRANKLIN COUNTY, TN.–A Tennessee corrections officer had to be issued the overdose drug Narcan after an inmate’s bag of fentanyl blew into the officer’s face. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reports the corrections officer was escorting a woman from the booking area to the general female population, preparing her for a final body check in the women’s restroom. A search …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A private security group brought in by businesses downtown, Solaren Risk Management, are very concerned about the current fentanyl crisis. They are not only worried about the public, but the impact on first responders. The CEO of Solaren Risk Management, Jack Byrd, says overdose deaths have increased more than 200% in the last five years in Tennessee …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Metro Nashville Public Health Department reported 103 suspected overdose deaths from the beginning of the year to the week of March 4. That’s compared to 136 during the same time period in 2022. According to MPHD, the highly lethal drug fentanyl was detected in 73.5% of suspected overdose deaths. Tennessee will share in a $275 …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A bill filed in the Tennessee General Assembly would classify fentanyl and its derivatives as chemical warfare agents like tear gas, nerve agents and blister agents. Tullahoma Republican Sen. Janice Bowling filed SB 1115 this legislative session. Under present law, it is a Class B felony for anyone to possess, develop, manufacture, produce, transfer, acquire, weaponize or retain …

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Officials with the Knoxville Police Department said a traffic stop Friday afternoon of a car with expired Illinois tags on Martin Luther King Drive led to the seizure of over 80 grams of suspected fentanyl packaged for resale. Officers also said a loaded firearm was found in the car, and a convicted felon from Detroit was …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Drugs are being trafficked through the Nashville International Airport. Just this week, police arrested two people after catching them with drugs. One man had eight grams of meth in his luggage. Another had 11 pounds of fentanyl, enough to kill more than 2 million people. Both the number of overdose deaths in Middle Tennessee and the …

(CBS DETROIT) – The initiative aimed at stopping the flow of drugs coming from Detroit to Tennessee and other states has been a success, according to a Tennessee-area district attorney. Since it was started nearly 2 ½ months ago in mid-December, what’s called the “313 Initiative” has led to major drug busts. According to the district attorney, it’s led to …

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A Lexington mother is sharing her story a little more than a year after losing her daughter to a fentanyl overdose. On January 27, 2022, Laura New’s daughter Cara died from a fentanyl overdose—a tragic ending to an eight-year battle to save her daughter. “It’s almost like there’s just no words,” said Laura. “I feel like …

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Friday five more people from Detroit were arrested in an ongoing investigation after multiple law enforcement agencies obtained a search warrant for a home on Willoughby Road in South Knoxville. On Thursday afternoon, Knoxville Police Department officers and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms seized …

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Regional medical providers have collaborated to host an annual East Tennessee Opioid Conference that’s now in it’s sixth year as the battle to curb the opioid epidemic intensifies. This year’s event was the highest attended conference since getting started six years ago, proving that it’s all hands on deck as the opioid problem continues to grow. …