It's no secret that the opioid crisis is a public health emergency. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 130 people in the U.S. die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses. Further, NIDA reports that in 2017, there were 1,269 overdose deaths involving opioids in Tennessee — a rate of 19.3 deaths per 100,000 persons, which is higher than the national rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000.
CRUSH THE CRISIS TAKE BACK DAY
The misuse of prescription opioids most often begins when they're snagged from a friend or family member's medicine cabinets. If you have leftover prescriptions, you can safely get rid of them during Crush the Crisis opioid take-back day. It's an initiative of local law enforcement at TriStar Health hospitals.
"Our goal for Crush the Crisis is to bring awareness to the dangers of opioid addiction and increase awareness about the proper disposal of these medications," says Jeffrey Hodrick, orthopedic surgeon with TriStar Centennial Medical Center. "Opioid addiction can happen to anyone, and unused opioids are a major source of misuse and diversion. We want to provide this opportunity as a confidential and anonymous way for the community to dispose of their unused medication properly," he adds.
Crush the Crisis takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7 takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. You can bring your unused medications to the following TriStar locations:
TriStar Centennial Medical Center
2300 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203
TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center
355 New Shackle Island Road, Hendersonville, TN 37075
TriStar Horizon Medical Center
111 Hwy. 70 E., Dickson, TN 37055
TriStar Skyline Medical Center
3441 Dickerson Pike, Nashville, TN 37207
TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center
391 Wallace Road, Nashville, TN 37211
TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center
200 StoneCrest Blvd., Smyrna, TN 37167
TriStar Summit Medical Center (until 1 p.m.)
5655 Frist Blvd., Hermitage, TN 37076
TriStar Spring Hill ER
3001 Reserve Blvd., Spring Hill, TN 37174
ACCEPTED MEDICATIONS
You can drop off tablets, capsules and patches of the following:
• Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin)
• Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet)
• Tramadol (Ultram)
• Codeine
• Fentanyl (Durgesic)
• Morphine
• Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
• Oxymorphone (Opana)
You cannot drop off needles, syringes, lancets, inhalers or liquids.
For more information about Crush the Crisis, click HERE.
