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Why have The Ark Ministries?

Question: "Is there really a need for The Ark Ministries?"

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Note: "Please understand that these statistics are not meant to convey that we believe that opioid prescription and treatment for chronic pain is always wrong because we do not believe that!

As of 2013, 221,000 Tennessee adults had used prescription drugs for non medical purposes.

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As of 2013, 69,100 Tennessee adults were addicted to prescription opioids.

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In 2013, drug abuse cost the state of Tennessee an estimated 155 million dollars in lost productivity due to absenteeism an unemployment.

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80% of crimes in Tennesse are drug related.

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800 plus meth labs operate in Tennessee at any given time.

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In 2010, there was enough of the following drugs dispensed to give every Tennessean 51 hHydrocodone pills, 22 Xanax, and 21 Oxycodone.

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There are an average of 22,714 incidents of drug related child abuse charges per year.

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In 2010, Tennessee tied with Nevada for second, behind Florida in opioid medicine prescribed and sold per 10,000 people.

There were 60,065 drug related crimes in Tennessee in 2012 alone.

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As of 2013, Greene County alone was prescribing opioids at a rate of 3.6-3.9 per person across the county.  That is the 2nd highest in East Tennessee.  Unicoi County was 1st at a rate of 4.0 per person.

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There was a 40% increase in opioids as primary drug choice in Tennessee in the last two years.

The abuse rate amongst 18-25 year olds is 30% higher in Tennessee than the national average.

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One in 2 high school seniors use Vicodin for non medical purposes, and one in 20 use Oxycontin for non medical purposes.

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From 2005-2010, visits to the ER in Tennessee for opioid poisoning rose by 40%.

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From 2001-2011, total hospital charges for opioid poisoning rose 600%.

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From 2000-2010, drug overdose death rates raised higher in Tennessee than they did at the National average level.

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50% of children taken into state custody is due to parental drug abuse.

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In 2013, over 1,500 state custodies took place due to substance abuse.

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70% of prescription drug abusers obtain them either from a friend, by theft, or by way of an illegal purchase.

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