Northeast TN fatal overdose numbers still rising, but not as fast, specialists say
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Drug overdose deaths were up more than 7% in 2022 across Northeast Tennessee, even as they flattened statewide after years of sharp increases, and an area recovery specialist told News Channel 11 the upward trend continued in 2023 in at least one county.
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“2023 compared to 2022 showed a decrease in the number of overdoses that were reported overall, however, the cases that involve fatal overdoses increased dramatically,” Jeff Noah of the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition (SCAD) told News Channel 11.
With fentanyl continuing to play a role in more than half of those deaths, 264 people died in seven Northeast Tennessee counties, up from 246 in 2021. The data, just released from the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), shows the 3,826 deaths statewide was just 0.3% more than the 3,814 recorded in 2021.
In the four years from 2018 to 2022, Northeast Tennessee’s overdose deaths nearly doubled, rising 85% from 141 to 264 — or less than three people per week to more than five per week. Fentanyl was involved in 149 of those cases, up from 139 in 2021.
Sullivan and Washington counties had the highest numbers of fatal overdoses, with 77 and 68 respectively. The region’s two largest counties were both up over the previous year, with Washington County up 17% from 58 in 2021.
Greene County had 38 fatal overdoses but also experienced the biggest decline after posting 45 deaths and the region’s highest per capita rate in 2021.
Carter County’s total of 34 was a 31% increase from 2021, when it recorded 26 deaths.
Hawkins County’s total of 25 was barely changed from the previous year’s 24. The region’s two smallest counties by population, Johnson and Unicoi, had 14 and 8 overdose deaths respectively.
TDH’s publishing of county-level fatal overdose data lags by a year or more. The state keeps more current records on non-fatal overdoses reported by hospitals. That category fell by 13% in 2022 compared to 2021, and dropped another 10% in 2023, when 7,518 hospital-reported overdoses occurred.
In Sullivan County, which recorded 77 fatal overdoses in 2022 after posting 74 the year before, the team recovery leader for the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition said the trend of declining total overdoses but increasing fatal ones is playing out.
Noah said he just completed a report showing about a 25% decrease in total overdoses in 2023 compared to 2022.
“The deaths increased by that much, or maybe even a third,” Noah said.
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Noah said two clear factors are at work as overdose death rates remain at their highest level in recent history: highly potent fentanyl finding its way into many other drugs, from opioids to stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine; and meth use itself continuing to skyrocket.
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“The fentanyl that’s present in every drug, meth, coke, heroin … we’re also seeing an increase in the people that are actually pursuing fentanyl,” Noah said.
Fentanyl-laced drugs are no longer a novelty, and he said people who use other drugs “are not unaware of the dangers.”
“You can’t scare people (by) saying, ‘well you shouldn’t be taking meth because you might get some fentanyl in it too. They realize the risks that are involved. The pressed pills, every pressed pill has got fentanyl in it or some other (foreign drug).”
Along with fentanyl, authorities are beginning to see xylazine, also known as “tranq,” mixed into other street drugs.
“It’s a shorter shelf life, but it’s just a bump to whatever the effect of the drug is, with bad side effects.”
Meth use continues to rage through Northeast Tennessee communities, Noah said.
“About the time the media and the world catches up and recognizes ‘oh my gosh we’re in an opioid crisis,’ it’s not that we’re not, but meth went racing from the back to the forefront,” he said. “Our problem’s with meth, heroin’s still in this area, but again, no matter what you’re taking you could get fentanyl on top of that.”
While people may be seeking highs strong enough to potentially kill them, Noah said he doesn’t think anyone is looking to flirt with a fatal overdose.
“I do not believe in the fallacy that some law enforcement or even some court systems say that people are out here having Narcan parties, they’re over there overdosing on purpose with a buddy right there next to him with Narcan ready to bring ’em back.”
“That’s somebody that’s never been Narcan’ed or an overdose. That is not a pleasant experience. It is not a party. That is not what’s going on.”
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That said, Narcan, which can reverse and block the effects of an overdose, is becoming much more prevalent among both drug users and people who care and want to be ready to save a life.
Drug users, Noah said, “are equipping themselves so that in the crapshoot they know that the chances of an overdose happening are higher now than ever was, and they want to make sure somebody’s there to bring them back.”
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Noah said after several years of hard work by people in the “recovery community,” from counselors to people operating sober living houses and those working inside area jails, more people are getting connected to recovery resources.
“We’re seeing more and more clients that are actually wanting to try to get into recovery,” he said.
“I think the word is getting out. We’re on the kiosk in the jail so they can apply for services there. Every judge in Sullivan County is now referring people to us when they’re seeing, ‘oh, alcohol and drugs played a big part in (the charges),’ they’re referring.”
“It’s taken this long for us to get our name out in the community with family, friends.”
Noah said all the work being done has the potential to make a dent in death rates, as well.
“We probably have more Narcan in the community now than ever has been,” he said.
He called it an “all-scale attack” from all the agencies that he thinks is beginning to pay dividends.
“But the bottom line is you’re never going to get rid of overdoses and deaths.”
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