TN Dept of Health Launches “Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis” Education, Awareness Campaign

The opioid epidemic has hit Tennessee hard. So hard that we are rated among the worst states in the country. While statistics paint a dismal picture, the reality is that numbers are only a representation of the actual damage done. Over 1,200 opioid overdose deaths occurred in this state in 2017 alone. What that number cannot show is the pain and suffering experienced by people, families and communities – those things can only be conveyed through words and images.

To help bridge the gap between cold numbers and real people, the Tennessee Department of Health has launched a new campaign called “Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis”. Through this, they are sharing the stories of real people in Tennessee impacted by the opioid epidemic.

“The Tennessee Chiropractic Association, who earlier this year was successful is passing legislation naming chiropractic within the definition of “alternative treatments” to prescription opioids in TN law, supports this awareness effort,” said TCA President Dr. R.J. Crawford. “Our Association is heartened by the stories of people from diverse professions and advocacy groups who are helping in the fight to end opioid addiction.”

Sharing the stories of those impacted such as recovering addicts and their families, social workers dedicated to solutions, children who lost parents to addiction, judges, volunteer mentors and others, is the Department’s way of putting faces with the numbers to show the many facets of this epidemic, and that there is hope.

As an additional service, the TN Faces of Opioids website https://www.tn.gov/tnfacesofopioids includes links to resources for those seeking help with addiction, drug-overdose data, drug drop-off locations and more.

“As drug-free health care providers, chiropractors are pleased to be an important part of the solution by providing care that is an effective alternative to opioids,” said Dr. Crawford. “Our chiropractic physicians across the state, work every day to give patients effective pain relief and better health through chiropractic care, without the risks associated with opiates. These faces and the stories they tell only make us more committed to the common goal of helping Tennesseans achieve pain control in a safe way.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing musculoskeletal pain, talk to your local chiropractor about your drug-free options. If you do not have doctor of chiropractic, you can find a TCA member doctor at https://www.tnchiro.com/find-a-doctor/. You can also learn more about how chiropractic can help you avoid opioids for pain management at https://www.tnchiro.com/articles/addressing-pain/.