Event to Raise Awareness About Dangers of Opioids this Saturday
July 9, 2026

KNOXVILLE - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the non-profit United Against Fentanyl are inviting area residents to take part in a national and statewide initiative aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of opioids and remembering those who have lost their lives to the drug.

The event – called Walk for Lives – features a community walk, first responders on hand to answer question, and booths from community partners offering prevention resources and support.

It takes place this Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to noon at Covenant Health Park, home of the Knoxville Smokies whose mascots also will be there to welcome participants.

Organizers are hosting more than 100 such walks throughout the country, including a number of them in Tennessee. The DEA and UAF created the initiative last year to host in July as part of an effort to increase attention to the country’s opioid problem.

Fentanyl and its analogues were the most frequently identified drugs in last year’s local drug-related deaths, according to the Knox County Forensic Center’s most recent Drug Related Death Report, which analyzed deaths in 2025.

The report looks at cases in Knox and Anderson counties – two areas where the KCRFC serves as the chief medical examiner. It notes that Fentanyl was the top drug discovered during toxicology testing in 2025 (190 cases). However, that is a decrease from 2024 (246 cases) and from 2023 (437 cases).

In Knox County, overall drug-related deaths dropped 8 percent in 2025 compared to 36 percent in 2024. In Anderson County, drug-related deaths decreased 13 percent in 2025, compared to 15 percent the previous year.

“Communities are stronger and safer when we work together,” said Chris Thomas, chief administrative officer and director of the KCRFC. “We’ve seen some promising trends these past couple of years, but we’ve also had opioids that are even more deadly than fentanyl enter the community as well. We need to constantly be vigilant.”

Sharena Cathey, substance misuse response coordinator with the Knox County Health Department, agreed.

"Fentanyl continues to have a devastating impact on families and communities across East Tennessee because the highly potent substance is often mixed into other illicit drugs without a person's knowledge, even a single use can have life-threatening consequences, but there is hope,” Cathey said. “Every conversation about safety, every naloxone kit distributed, every opportunity to learn the signs of an overdose, and every person in Knox County can help save a life.”

She added that the upcoming event "reminds us that prevention works wonders; recovery is more than possible, and we each have a role to play in protecting the lives of those around us."

For more information about the Knoxville event, please visit here. To learn more about fentanyl, other emerging substances, overdose prevention, naloxone, and free local resources visit here.

The Knox County RFC, which operates 24/7, 365 days each year, performs autopsies for 23 counties and is the official medical examiner for Knox, Anderson and Blount counties.

The RFC’s mission is to provide accurate, timely, compassionate and professional death investigative services for the residents of Knox County and the counties it serves; identify and develop an understanding of sudden, unexpected and unnatural deaths, and educate the public about those deaths; assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations; offer consultation to medical professionals and attorneys; render unbiased opinions and testimony in court; and extend research and educational support for local and national medical, legal, academic and law enforcement organizations.