KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hope is on the horizon in the fight against drug overdoses, with new data from the Knox County Forensic Center.
In Knox County, 519 people died from an overdose in 2023. That's a 5% drop from the previous year. In 2022, the county reported 544 overdose deaths.
"To see any kind of decline is obviously a win," said Chris Thomas, with the Knox County Forensic Center.
Workers at KCFC have seen many people die from overdoses since 2019, but that trend is beginning to change.
According to the previous numbers, 293 people died from a drug overdose in 2019, that number then increased to 413 in 2020 and has remained that high ever since. In 2021, the forensic center 533 people died from an overdose.
"That number is still over 500 individuals and this is the third year in a row that we've crossed 500," said Thomas.
Numbers from the drug-related death report show that more than one drug is responsible in most overdose deaths — fentanyl. While fentanyl, meth and cocaine continue to be the most commonly used drugs, there are two new ones gaining popularity.
"Two new drugs that are emerging xylazine, or the street drug 'tranq,'" said Thomas. "And another one is a bromazolam."
The report said more people between 15 years old and 24 years old are experimenting with drugs.
"We've got to start reaching our children before these substances are putting their hands in for the first time," said Webster Bailey, Executive Director at Metro Drug Coalition.
The Metro Drug Coalition helps people in addiction find recovery.
"Getting all across the community with Narcan, overdose reversal medications, doing a lot of education, awareness, we're getting these medications into the hands of people who really need them," Webster said.
He said a key factor in continuing to lower overdoes deaths is taking early action.
"Prevention is a really important piece to this puzzle," he said.
Th Metro Drug Coalition provides free Narcan nasal spray. Narcan contains Naloxone — the medicine that reverses an opioid overdoses.
You can visit metrodrug.org to learn more or call 865-588-5550.