ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — In 2023, Roane County saw a record number of drug overdose deaths — mostly due to methamphetamine and fentanyl. Dr. Tom Boduch, the Roane County Medical Examiner, said so far into the year the county has seen around half the number of deaths.
"We made progress. We need to figure out whey we have it. We need to keep doing it," he said. "It's very gratifying to see a drop, that some efforts are paying off. And, if we can figure out what we're doing right, we'll keep doing more of it."
He said by June 2023, there were 32 deadly overdoses reported in the county. So far into 2024, only 13 fatal overdoses have been reported.
"I still, I can't explain it. I think there are multiple factors. Some of it is more Narcan use, it's always been available," he said.
Russell Johnson, the District Attorney General, also said he is optimistic about the downward trend. He said some of the biggest threats to the county are counterfeit pills, which may contain a lethal amount of fentanyl despite what users may believe they're taking.
"Let's hope this is a trend that continues. I would like to think it's part of what our law enforcement, our Overdose Task Force, is doing — and our prosecution team," said Johnson. "We prosecuted a husband and wife for the unfortunate death of two brothers, 19 years old and 17 years old. One pill that they thought was oxycodone had fentanyl in it. They split it between the two of them. That killed both of them."
Those teens died in 2021, and the defendants in the case face years in prison.
"This Buckholtz guy got 20 years in prison for doing this. Maybe ought to think differently about what he's doing and to save those kids and grandkids," said Johnson.
Anyone in Tennessee struggling with addiction can reach out for help by calling the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789.