NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Davidson County, like many areas across Tennessee, continues to struggle with the challenges of deadly drug overdoses.
For Fentanyl Awareness Day, The Metro Nashville Public Health Department released data revealing how bad the overdose epidemic is in Nashville/Davidson County.
Metro Public Health Department's Division Director for Behavioral Health and Wellness Dr. Anidolee Melville-Chester says Fentanyl is often laced with other drugs.
"The dealer or sellers aren’t telling you what’s in it. You can say I want Meth and you end up with Meth and Fentanyl," Dr. Anidolee Melville-Chester said.
Since 2020, the year of the pandemic there have been 2,500 suspected fatal overdose deaths in Nashville-Davidson County, according to the public health department. Fentanyl is the leading contributor however, cocaine and methamphetamine are also detected.
"You look at income, look at family engagement, look at education, and look at lack of resources; that’s going to drive use," Dr. Melville-Chester explained.
The map of data breaks down those suspected fatal overdoses by zip codes from 2018 to 2022. Areas like Antioch and Madison, are seeing higher rates, but the problem is county-wide
"If I lived in Antioch as a resident I would want to know in my zip 37013 we have about 189 cases of suspects fatal overdoses," Dr. Melville-Chester said.
The data also reveals most of those deaths were white males between the ages of 25-54. However, overdose deaths among Black/African American communities are climbing.
"What we’re doing and trying to say is we want to bring some hope and access to care," Dr. Melville-Chester said.
Because overdoses are on the rise the health department wants people to carry around NARCAN because it can save a life and they do give it out for free.”
The health department offers other free services too for those dealing with addiction problems.
"We can do brief solution-focused therapy right away. We can link you with a case manager, right here at Metro Nashville Public Health Department," Dr. Melville-Chester said.
Dr. Melville-Chester hopes the community takes advantage of their services, so they can help save lives. "We want to create a level of hope in individuals that feel hopeless," Dr. Melville-Chester said.
From 2018 to 20-22, the health department also saw 26 suspected fatal overdoses in kids 18 and younger. They encourage parents to talk with their kids about the dangers of drugs.
To take a deeper dive into the data from Metro Nashville Public Health Department, click here.
