KNOX COUNTY, Tenn — The Knox County Regional Forensic Center’s annual drug-related death report shows a moderate decline in overdose deaths in Knox and Anderson counties compared to 2024, but officials warn new drugs could quickly reverse the trend.
The report said fentanyl continues to dominate overdose deaths. It also said synthetic opioids are more frequently being mixed with other drugs.
“The good news is that raw data collected during the first quarter of 2026 projects a decreasing pattern in drug-related deaths thanks to the combined efforts of all our partners and the East Tennessee community,” wrote Chief Medical Examiner Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan…