East Tenn. judge wins public health award for addiction work
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Fourth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone has won the Tennessee Public Health Association’s Visionary Award for the Eastern Division of the state.
In presenting the award, Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner (DRYZ’-ner) applauded Slone’s work in co-founding the local drug recovery court and his leadership in addressing the epidemic of children born addicted to opiates.
According to a news release from the courts, Slone helped end a law that called for jail time for addicted mothers. The law had the unintended consequence of driving addicted pregnant women to not seek pre-natal care.
Slone said he was grateful to work with the public health officials behind an initiative to provide long-acting contraceptives. It has dramatically reduced the number of drug-addicted babies in the counties where it has been implemented.
