Day by day, week by week, and year by year, the opioid epidemic continues to ravage individuals, families, and communities across  East Tennessee. In 2020, 3,032 Tennesseans died of a drug overdose, with fentanyl as the common denominator in more than half of all fatal overdoses. Every day, this deadly trend plays out across the state, but there are proven solutions that inspire hope.

We know all too well that ignoring outright or downplaying the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic won’t make it disappear from our communities — nor will it bring back the far too many loved ones lost to addiction.