(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — State Representative Curtis Halford (R-Dyer) today joined with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) to announce funding for a new community anti-drug coalition in Carroll County.
The monies are provided through the Tennessee Together plan, which is designed to battle the state’s opioid crisis through the three major components of prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.
The new Carroll County coalition is one of five community additions to the statewide network that will now include 46 Tennessee prevention groups. They provide information, coordinate resources, and conduct educational events in efforts to further prevent addiction in the communities they serve.
All coalitions work toward the goals of decreasing non-medical use of pain relievers such as opioid medications and to prevent underage drinking and tobacco use. Many also hold local events in support of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day — coordinated nationally by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“I am pleased that Carroll County is receiving this important funding to help us better address opioid addiction and substance abuse in our community,” said Representative Halford. “This issue is one of the most important we face as a state and will undoubtedly determine our future outcomes. We have made considerable progress in recent years, and I know we will create new solutions in the years ahead that will enable us to finally end Tennessee’s cycle of addiction.”
Each day in Tennessee, at least three people die from opioid-related overdoses — more than the daily number of traffic fatalities. While new data suggests deaths involving pain relievers and the overall number of opioid prescriptions available in our communities both decreased last year, the Department of Health reports deaths caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl have steadily risen over the past two years.
For more about these community anti-drug coalitions, please click here.