Tullahoma proclaims April 29 Fentanyl Awareness Day; local outreach planned

Mayor Lynn Seaborn read a proclamation at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Monday declaring Tuesday, April 29, 2025, as Fentanyl Awareness Day in Tullahoma.

The proclamation cited statewide overdose figures — "2,720 deaths from fentanyl overdose in 2023," according to the text read at the meeting — and called for training, distribution, education and outreach to prevent overdoses. "I, Lynn Seaborn, mayor of the City of Tullahoma, do hereby declare the Tuesday 04/29/2025 as Fentanyl Awareness Day in Tullahoma," the proclamation stated.

Dustin Ritchie, regional overdose prevention specialist for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said he is a person in long-term recovery and described continuing community efforts to reduce fatal overdoses. "Fentanyl continues to be a scourge in our communities," Ritchie said, adding that recent work has increased survival after overdoses.

Alan Burnett, director of the Coffee County Recovery Court and head of the Coffee County Collaborative Coalition, described an outreach event scheduled for April 29 at Ada Farrell Apartments (listed in meeting materials as "Adel Farrel Apartments") and invited the public to participate. Burnett said outreach will include distributing free naloxone, bringing resources and attempting to reduce stigma. "We're gonna go out there and raise some awareness, bring resources, bring some free naloxone," he said.

The proclamation urges public officials, educators, emergency responders, nonprofits and residents to join prevention efforts. The board did not record a separate formal vote on the proclamation during the meeting; the mayor read and issued it as presented.

Local recovery partners said the outreach event will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and include resource distribution and community engagement.