Committee reviews overdose data, naloxone vending plans and approves presentations for scanners and outreach requests

At the start of the meeting, Josh Draper identified himself as representing a local coalition and as a recovery program graduate and thanked the commission before sharing local overdose trends. “Since this body started, the state of Tennessee in the last 3 years, the overdose rates, the overdose fatality rates have dropped about 5 to 6 percent. In Sumner County, they have dropped almost 27 percent,” Draper said, noting community programs and sponsors that support recovery work.

County health and hospital data were discussed in committee reports. A county staff member said that from Jan. 1 to March 31 the hospital’s records showed 14 ambulance runs to High Point Health and 41 overdoses treated in the emergency department during the same period; staff clarified the 41 were overdoses treated, not deaths. The staff member also said the county cannot display some…