MDC responds to Governor Haslam’s Public Safety Action Plan

By Charles W. Swanson
President, MDC Board of Directors
Law Director, City of Knoxville

On behalf of the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s board of directors, I would like to commend Governor Haslam on the newly-unveiled Public Safety Action Plan.

Prescription drug abuse is the one of the greatest threats to our nation’s well-being. It is an issue that is devastating our families, our friends and our community. Prescription drug abuse crosses all race, gender and socioeconomic boundaries, and it doesn’t discriminate based on age or education. Overdoses are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in America. If we hope to reverse this trend, we must make prescription drugs more difficult and less appealing to abuse. Governor Haslam’s plan is a giant leap forward in achieving this goal.

We are happy to see plans to strengthen the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). Consistent utilization of the PMP will help make healthcare professionals more informed before prescribing or dispensing narcotics. By sharing information with law enforcement agencies, we can prevent “doctor shoppers” from flooding neighboring states.

In addition, we hope to see more prescription drug take-back program events across the state. Medication collections have proven extremely successful locally. Since 2008, 4,026 pounds of pills have been collected and destroyed in Knox County alone. That’s more than 2 million pills that will not end up in our water system or in the hands of abusers.

With the rise in prescription drug misuse, “drugged driving” has become more pervasive on our roadways. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, an estimated one in three deadly crashes in which drug tests are conducted indicate drugs in the driver’s system. That number has increased about five percent in the past five years, with more than 1.4 million people driving while impaired every year. As our legislators look at strengthening our DUI laws, we hope they will consider broadening the definition of impaired driving to include narcotics.

A 2003 report compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) noted that “about 70 percent of state and 57 percent of federal prisoners used drugs regularly prior to incarceration.” Of juvenile offenders, “56 percent of the boys and 40 percent of the girls tested positive for drug use at the time of their arrest.” Today, these numbers are likely much higher. Increasing access to addiction treatment and supporting drug courts can give these individuals a second chance to live healthy and productive lives.

We also are happy to see actionable steps to reduce the scourge of methamphetamine. Meth labs endanger hundreds of children each year. By reducing illegal access to pseudoephedrine, we will see a marked decrease in meth production throughout the state, providing a healthier, safer home environment for our children.

To make changes on a federal and state level, we must first make changes on a community level. We are glad to see commitment from our state legislators to work with local law enforcement and drug prevention agencies. These folks are “in the trenches” of substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery each and every day. Their input can help state legislators make more informed decisions and focus their efforts on real community issues. The Metropolitan Drug Commission fully supports the governor’s plan and looks forward to working with our state representatives and legislators going forward.

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Join Mayor Tim Burchett in celebrating the 22nd annual National Recovery Month

Who: Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, the City of Knoxville and the Metropolitan Drug Commission

What: A joint resolution and press conference proclaiming the month of September as National Recovery Month

When: Tuesday, September 6 at 1:30 PM

Where: Child & Family Tennessee Great Starts, 3006 Lake Brook Boulevard, Knoxville

Background: In 2009, 4.3 million people aged 12 or older (1.7 percent of Americans) received treatment for substance use disorders, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

To commemorate this important awareness month, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will issue a proclamation jointly with the City of Knoxville on September 6 highlighting the benefits recovery has on our community. Burchett will focus on how residents can access the professional care they need to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. For those outside the recovery community, the event will stress the importance of helping a loved one in need and educate individuals on a variety of prevention, treatment and recovery options.

“Our hope is that with increased access to prevention, treatment and recovery support services, our community will reach out to those in need to assist them in finding appropriate treatment options,” Karen Pershing, executive director of the Metropolitan Drug Commission, said.

Upcoming Events: Helen Ross McNabb Center, in partnership with East Tennessee Association of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselors, will host the 8th annual Recovery Awareness Fair on September 24 at West Town Mall from 10 AM-2 PM. Contact Melinda Kirk at 865-329-9023 for more information.

About: The observance of National Recovery Month raises awareness of substance use and mental  disorders, celebrates individuals in long-term recovery and acknowledges the work of treatment and recovery service providers. Recovery Month spreads the message that behavioral health is an  essential part of health and one’s overall wellness, and that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover from substance use and mental disorders. National Recovery Month is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Additional information can be found at recoverymonth.gov.

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Citizens’ GPS program helps students navigate twists and turns of local government

The Knoxville/Knox County Mayors’ Youth Action Council (YAC), in partnership with the Metropolitan Drug Commission and the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, has developed a web-based program to encourage Knoxville youth to become engaged in local government.

The Citizens’ GPS program can help teens learn more about how local government operates and empower them to get involved.  Teens will learn to identify community problems through worksheets and problem-solving activities. Citizens’ GPS gives students an opportunity to work both independently and cooperatively.

“Many citizens today complain about the government and issues in the community but often don’t know how to make a change,” Missy Denton, a rising Hardin Valley High School senior, said. “We wanted to design a program that would teach teens like us how to get involved and be part of the problem-solving process.”

The website includes additional links for teachers to implement the curriculum in the classroom. Three fully developed lesson plans are currently available for download. The learning objectives addressed through Citizens’ GPS meet all local government requirements for the State of Tennessee and Knox County.

“Our teachers will benefit from this high quality, relevant community resource to support civic education in the Social Studies classroom,” Millicent Smith, Knox County Schools Social Studies supervisor, said. “We are very appreciative to the Youth Action Council for their enthusiasm and hard work on this worthwhile project.”

Citizens’ GPS is available free of charge to all teachers and students in Knox County. A link to the site will be available for teachers through the social studies teachers’ intranet. Students can access the materials at https://sites.google.com/site/citizensgps.

For more information about YAC, click here.