Heroin Awareness
Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive opioid that can be smoked, sniffed, or injected directly into the bloodstream. And four out of five of those addicted to heroin start by abusing prescription painkillers.
More information about Heroin
Heroin: A Dangerous Epidemic
Tennessee faces a severe opioid crisis. From 2013 to 2017, age-adjusted rates of all drug overdose deaths increased from 11.7 per 100,000 TN residents to 19.3 per 100,000 TN residents. During this same time, the number of heroin overdose deaths increased over 300% (63 deaths in 2013 to 311 deaths in 2017). Learn More.
Heroin Cases by County
The number of heroin cases has significantly increased across Tennessee. See how the epidemic has grown in your county.
Fentanyl continues to be a public health crisis. The number of overdose deaths involving fentanyl, largely due to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, increased over 800% (53 deaths in 2013 to 500 deaths in 2017).
Addiction affects people from all walks of life.
TN Faces of Opioids:
The Tennessee Department of Health is sharing the stories of Tennesseans affected by the opioid epidemic and what they are doing in every county and community of our state to bring it to an end.
Needle Exchange Program
Under state law (Pub. Ch. No. 413, 2017), approved companies are authorized to accept used syringes and provide clean syringes in order to prevent the spread of disease, such as Hepatitis C and HIV. So far, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox Counties have these programs.
