FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2020
CONTACT: Joan Carr
OFFICE: (901) 222-9010
CELL: (901) 691-5704
SHELBY COUNTY STREET TEAM FOR OVERDOSE PREVENTION (STOP) EVENT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2020
SHELBY COUNTY, TN –The Street Team for Overdose Prevention (STOP) will provide street-level outreach on Saturday, December 5, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Howze Park, next to Lester Community Center, at 317 Tillman Avenue.
The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) monitors drug overdose activity in Shelby County by tracking incidents reported by first responder organizations and the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in a database called ODMAP. As of November 21, 2020—the most recent statistics available—there have been 369 suspected overdose-related deaths in Shelby County to date in 2020, compared to 343 in all of 2019. In fact, the numbers of suspected overdose-related deaths have increased each year since 2017, when there were 165 overdose-related deaths.
Suspected Overdose-Related Deaths in Shelby County* |
2017 | 165 |
2018 | 213 |
2019 | 343 |
2020 | 369 |
*Prepared by Shelby County Health Department Bureau of Epidemiology, Preparedness and Informatics |
In order to address the increase in suspected overdose events, SCHD and its community partners, including the Shelby County Opioid Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, and S.T.O.P. (Street Team for Overdose Prevention) have planned a street-level outreach event this Saturday.
S.T.O.P. will provide free overdose reversal kits, including naloxone, a medication that blocks opioids; treatment resources; and information about accessing needle exchange programs. The event will feature music and free food. Social distancing will be observed. Face masks are required and will be provided for anyone who needs a mask.
The Shelby County Health Department maintains a page on its website www.shelbytnhealth.com which features information about opioids, including overdose data, which is updated each Friday.
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