WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — This week, all four mayors in Wilson County signed a proclamation recognizing Recovery Month amid a push to end overdoses in the community.

News 2 spoke with Tammy Grow, executive director of DrugFree WilCo. The nonprofit works to prevent and reduce drug misuse and addiction in Wilson County.

"We were formed in 2018 when a loving mother approached Mayor Hutto because her son had tragically died of a drug overdose," Grow said. 

According to Grow, it's been boots on the ground ever since.  

"It's unfortunate that it took the awareness of the overdose deaths to bring attention to this, but it has, and I feel like if the communities that are willing to support and really talk about these issues," Grow said.

Despite the number of overdose deaths reported in Wilson County in recent years,

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 68 overdose deaths reported in Wilson County in both 2022 and 2023. However, Grow said there's encouraging news for 2024 because of advocacy work.

"What we're seeing, though, is we are hearing and we're hopeful that they’ve seen a 30% decrease nationally," Grow said. 

Nevertheless, Grow said one death is still too many, so the work doesn’t stop. 

Just days ago, DrugFree Wilco honored lives lost in Wilson County for International Overdose Awareness Day.

"It was eye opening as so many came and signed purple ribbons of loved ones that we’ve lost," Grow said. 

In addition, Wilson County's four mayors signed a proclamation earlier this week recognizing Recovery Month.

"We want to break that stigma around mental health and substance use disorder and that recovery is possible...It really is uniting all of Wilson County," Grow said.

DrugFree WilCo is holding its fourth annual Hope and Recovery Fest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Cumberland University. The family-friendly event will have free food, live music, and lots of resources. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/wilson-county-mayors-sign-proclamation-recognizing-recovery-month/