A recovering alcoholic in downtown Boston, an active heroin user in the streets of Philadelphia, a star athlete abusing opioids in the suburbs of Atlanta–those kinds of addictions occur in every facet of the United States, which is emphasized in the new documentary titled “Tipping the Pain Scale.”
The College of Public Health showed the 2022 film on Monday, Sept. 26, in the Culp Auditorium, which was led by Dr. Angela Hagaman, operations director for the Addiction Science Center at ETSU.
The “Tipping The Pain Scale” website describes this feature film as a documentary following individuals from different walks of life that all struggle with America’s systemic failures in dealing with addiction and drug abuse. Furthermore, it spotlights their journeys to developing and utilizing innovative solutions to the problem.
Directly following the film showing, a panel of individuals in long-term recovery– Amanda Silcox, Stanley Williams Jr., and Dr. Dorothy “Dottie” Greene–discussed their thoughts and opinions on the film. They then opened the floor for students and staff to express their concerns and ask questions about drug addiction in their community.
“I have never seen anything even come close to what we are seeing now. I think it is just reality–it’s part of the world we are in now,” said Dr. Dottie Greene, associate professor in the Department of Social Work. “Now, everyone needs to know what is happening and how to use Narcan.”
Narcan is an emergency medicine that can rapidly treat and reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. This life-saving tool was given out for free to all students and staff who requested it.
As the drug problem in East Tennessee worsens, Dr. Dottie Greene recently proposed the idea for the up-and-coming Johnson City Recovery Center. This will be the first initiative in establishing a recovery center in the region of Northeastern Tennessee. The center will focus on creating a safe and welcoming environment, with a majority of its advisory board being individuals in long- or short-term recovery themselves.
The Johnson City Recovery Center will host its first open house on Friday, Oct. 28. To stay updated with the center, find it on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnsoncityrecoverycenter/.
