The isolation of the coronavirus pandemic had seriously begun to take its toll on Alexander Joubert by the time his 21st birthday came around in May. The skate parks were closed. He missed his friends. And the in-person family counseling he’d started just months earlier now consisted of conversations through a computer screen. So, to lift his spirits, his parents …
TDMHSAS and TDH Announce New Campaign to Reduce Drug Overdose and Prevent Suicide
Campaign focuses on increasing resilience between major winter holidays The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and Department of Health are kicking off a new campaign centered around the risk of drug overdose and suicide during the winter holidays. The campaign, called ResilienTN, focuses on building resilience and strengthening community connections to prevent the tragic loss …
COVID-19 Could Compound Holiday Suicides, Drug Overdoses
State health officials hope to stem annual winter holiday suicide and drug overdose rates that could be compounded this year with the stresses of COVID-19. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) launched ResilienTN this week. The program is focused on strengthening community connections to give Tennesseans “tools and knowledge …
Deadliest drug in disguise: People don’t know what they’re getting
A Facebook message from a grieving grandma prompted Target 8 to take a closer look at overdose deaths in West Michigan. “Could you talk about all the kids dying from fentanyl in Michigan?” Jane Toscano of Wyoming asked via Facebook. “My grandson was just 21. He took a laced pill and now he lives in the ground. His life mattered. …
Opioid overdose deaths involving other substances more common in youth
Results of a new study show that opioid overdose deaths involving more than one substance (polysubstances) are more common than opioid-only overdose deaths among youth. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction, the data shows that cocaine and other stimulants like crystal methamphetamine are the substances most commonly involved in opioid overdose deaths in young people …
Street Fentanyl Surges In Western U.S., Leading To Thousands Of Deaths
Seven months ago, when Jake got out of jail in Phoenix, he expected to go back to using his drug of choice: heroin. But the street market for illegal opioids had changed. “I just started smoking [fentanyl] pills because that was the thing that was around; it was so easy to get,” he said. NPR is only using Jake’s first …
Pandemic could be contributing to spike in U.S. overdose deaths
Matthew Davidson was beating his heroin addiction. The 31-year-old was attending group recovery meetings. He had a restaurant job he liked. He was a doting uncle to a baby nephew. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Davidson lost his job. He started staying home alone in his apartment near Georgetown, Ky., depressed and yearning for his recovery support group that had …
Campaign Seeks to Educate Teens on Dangers of Fentanyl
For far too many Americans, the opioid epidemic has become an all too familiar tragedy. Friends, colleagues, and family members across the country have had their lives hijacked or lost due to these powerful drugs. While all opioids are dangerous if abused, one drug in recent years has proven to be in a lethal class of its own. With grim …
US Overdose Deaths Appear to Rise Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Available information suggests U.S. drug overdose deaths are on track to reach an all-time high this year. Matthew Davidson was beating his heroin addiction. The 31-year-old was attending group recovery meetings. He had a restaurant job he liked. He was a doting uncle to a baby nephew. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Davidson lost his job. He started staying home …
‘One pill can kill.’ Tri-Cities’ deadliest drug is threatening high schoolers now
Fentanyl continues to be the deadliest drug in the Tri-Cities. And federal, state and local law enforcement officials, school superintendents, health districts and community members are teaming up to educate the public through a series of forums, discussions and educational lessons about the dangers. “We can never get the word out far enough,” William Hyslop, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern …