Thanks to the efforts of some local organizations and citizens, all local law enforcement officers are now equipped with packets containing vital information for those affected by opioid addiction and their families. Blount County’s law enforcement officers, including BCSO deputies and Maryville, Alcoa, and Townsend police officers will provide a packet to an overdose victim or his or her surviving family members. The goal of this initiative is to educate, prevent, and decrease the number of overdoses and overdose deaths in Blount County by way of assisting individuals with finding resources.
The packets contain information about treatment programs, prescription drug disposal, suicide prevention resources, tobacco cessation, and other useful material. The packets are funded and provided by Be Aware Blount Anti-Drug Coalition and other state and local non-profits.
Local law enforcement and the first responder community have witnessed a steady increase in overdoses and overdose deaths over the past few years, especially since 2020. All patrol and front line deputies and officers in Blount County are equipped with Naloxone, a known medication to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. So far in 2022, Blount County’s law enforcement officers have responded to 110 overdoses, including 21 deaths. In 2021, BCSO deputies used Naloxone on 101 individuals and reversed overdose effects on 73 people, almost double the number of uses from 2020. Countywide in 2021, law enforcement officers responded to 397 overdose calls, and 64 people died as a result of overdose.
“It is my hope that these resources will help those struggling with addiction, or at least be a catalyst for them to get assistance before it’s too late,” Sheriff James L. Berrong said. “When someone overdoses, or worse yet, when someone dies as the result of an overdose, it doesn’t just affect the individual. An overdose affects the individual’s family members and any children in the household by way of trauma and stress. It affects first responders who work the call. Overdoses also severely impact our community. Though local law enforcement in Blount County and across our state and country are battling a seemingly endless flow of illicit opioids and other drugs into our country, we cannot fight this alone. We are thankful to our partnering organizations who are helping us with this initiative, but we are also asking the citizens of our community to stand up, speak out, and help initiate change on a state and national level in regard to the illicit drugs that are pouring into the United States, and ultimately impacting our local communities. Change doesn’t happen without action. Call or write your state and U.S. legislators and ask them to take action.
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