Greene County resident Crystal Jessee is featured in the Tennessee Department of Health’s new public education and awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid abuse.

Jessee was selected to be part of the public education and awareness campaign called “Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis,“ according to a news release from the state Department of Health.

This project will include people from every county of Tennessee sharing personal stories of how they have been impacted by the opioid crisis. The campaign also provides resources and information on how everyone can be part of the solution to this problem.

“As an attorney, working with people that have been touched by opioid dependency, I believe this campaign is a huge step in the direction of healing as a community and state,” Jessee said.

“The campaign brings together friends, families, individuals and professionals in our community that have been touched by this epidemic and encourages everyone to work together to reduce the stigma of opioid dependency,” she continued. “Together we are better, and together we can overcome this as a community.”

Jessee’s photo and story are included in the campaign website, www.tn.gov/tnfacesofopioids, and will be shared on social medial such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The goal of the “Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis“ campaign is to show how the opioid epidemic is having an impact on people in every community and county in the state, and that by working together Tennesseans can make a change to overcome this crisis, the release stated.

“We want people to understand this isn’t just someone else’s problem,” said former Greene County Health Director Shaun Street. “Twenty-one people in Greene County died of drug overdose in 2017. This crisis is hurting our community, our families, neighbors, friends and coworkers. We want to help people learn about local resources they can use to be part of the solution. It can be as simple as knowing where to take unused or expired medication for proper disposal.“

Resources available in Greene County include safe drug drop-off sites at the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Greeneville Police Department, Tusculum Police Department, Atchley Drug Center and Walgreens in Greeneville.

“Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis“ is a project funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.