{{short description|American physician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Forest Tennant | office = Mayor of West Covina, California | term_start = 1980 | birth_name = Forest S. Tennant Jr. | birth_place = Dodge City, Kansas, U.S. | other_party = Republican Party | occupation = Physician, politician, writer, professor, businessman, consultant | allegiance = U.S. Army Medical Corps | rank = Major | term_end = 1988 | education = University of Missouri, University of Kansas School of Medicine, University of California | website = http://www.foresttennant.com/ }}
'''Forest S. Tennant Jr.''' is an American physician, writer, businessman, consultant, and politician, who served as the former mayor of West Covina, California. Tennant has earned recognition as an expert in pain management and substance dependence and has also been involved in some controversies.
==Education and early career== Tennant was born into a farm family in Dodge City, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Missouri and, in 1966,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foresttennant.md.com/ |title=Welcome to ForestTennant.MD.com |work=MD.com |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=November 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102014750/http://foresttennant.md.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He served in Vietnam as a major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and was an Army surgeon in Germany, where he first came into contact with patients with drug problems. In 1972, Tennant earned a Doctorate of Public Health at the UCLA School of Public Health of the University of California, Los Angeles. His doctoral thesis was informed by his experience treating service personnel. As a post-doctorate fellow, Tennant was appointed director of UCLA's methadone program,<ref name=almondbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-27-sp-672-story.html |title=Controversy Continues to Dog Tennant : Drug testing: Latest debate on West Covina doctor's ability might cost him position with NFL. |author=Elliott Almond |date=January 27, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref><ref name=CountryDoc>{{cite web |url=http://www.countrydocmd.com/DocBio.htm |title=Forest S. Tennant, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H., FACPM |work=Country Doc MD |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305064735/http://www.countrydocmd.com/DocBio.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was an associate professor at the school.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067760/2/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203084122/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067760/2/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |title=Hit For A Loss |author=William Oscar Johnson |date=September 19, 1988 |work=Sports Illustrated |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>
==Physician and writer== {{expand section|date=January 2014}} Tennant specializes in pain management and drug addiction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ziglar |first=Zig |title=Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World |publisher=Thomas Nelson |author-link=Zig Ziglar |year=2002 |page=27 |isbn=9781418517168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-R4EPMcKFz4C&pg=PT27 |access-date=January 14, 2012 |quote=Dr. Forest Tennant of UCLA is an authority on drugs, drug abuse, drug treatment, and drug prevention.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Thorbum |first1=Doug |last2=Talbott |first2=G. Douglas |title=Drunks, Drugs & Debits: How to Recognize Addicts and Avoid Financial Abuse |year=2001 |publisher=Galt |isbn=978-0967578835 |page=50 |quote=...addiction expert Forest Tennant...}}<!--|accessdate=January 22, 2014 --></ref> He is a strong advocate for intractable pain patients, arguing that opioids can be safe and effective even when applied over long durations,<ref>{{cite book |last=Foreman |first=Judy |title=A Nation in Pain: Healing our Biggest Health Problem |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lfdMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA159 |access-date=January 22, 2014 |year=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0199837205 |page=159}}</ref> and helped push the "Pain Patient's Bill of Rights" law through the California legislature.<ref name=ingram/> Tennant has authored over 200 articles and books, including many to help intractable pain patients,<ref name=AboutDrTennant>{{cite web |url=http://www.foresttennant.com/about_dr_forest_tennant.html |title=About Dr. Tennant |work=Pain Management |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313071611/http://www.foresttennant.com/about_dr_forest_tennant.html |archive-date=March 13, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is editor-in-chief of the journal ''Practical Pain Management''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/author/2391/tennant |title=Forest Tennant, MD, DrPH |work=Practical Pain Management |publisher=Vertical Health LLC |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> The late Zig Ziglar described Tennant as "perhaps the number one drug authority in the world".<ref>{{cite book |last=Ziglar |first=Zig |author-link=Zig Ziglar |title=Ziglar on Selling: The Ultimate Handbook for the Complete Sales Professional |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GxEBE7ZKY4QC&pg=PA308 |access-date=January 22, 2014 |year=1991 |publisher=Thomas Nelson |isbn=978-0785288930 |page=308}}</ref>
==Businesses and consultancies== Until his retirement in 2018, Tennant operated a pain management clinic, Veract Intractable Pain Clinic in West Covina, California. The clinic, opened in 1975, originally focused primarily on cancer patients and post-polio pain.<ref name=AboutDrTennant/>
Tennant has been a substance abuse consultant for the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol (where he taught officers how to recognize symptoms of drug use)<ref name=almondbio/> and hundreds of private companies, including Texaco and the Southern Pacific Railroad.<ref name=Weikel1997>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-21-mn-14790-story.html |title=State, DEA Probe Mismanagement in Methadone Clinics |author=Dan Weikel |date=July 21, 1997 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>
He operated a drug testing and drug education consultancy, with clients including the National Football League (NFL), the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and the Los Angeles Dodgers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-31-sp-264-story.html |title=Tennant's Former Employee Found Not Guilty |author=Julie Cart |date=March 31, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref> With the Dodgers, Tennant worked with players including Steve Howe,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/08/sports/sports-of-the-times-new-dimention-in-drug-issue.html |title=Sports of The Times; New Dimention [''sic''] in Drug Issue |author=Dave Anderson |date=July 8, 1986 |work=New York Times |access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-04-sp-9223-story.html |title=Howe Is Released by Dodgers, Cites Pressures of L.A. |author=Gordon Edes |author-link=Gordon Edes |date=July 4, 1985 |work=Los Angeles Times |page=2 |access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref> a promising left-hander whose career was ultimately derailed by substance abuse.
Tennant terminated his relationship with the NFL in April 1989,<ref name=Almond>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-06-sp-1176-story.html |title=NFL Questioned on Drugs Again: Testing: Report says Rozelle was concerned about the handling of Clarence Kay's result. Later, the league allegedly kept the Bronco player quiet with a deal. |author=Elliott Almond |date=September 6, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref> and Tennant's handling of some matters while working for the NFL, particularly in the Clarence Kay case, were later criticized.<ref name=Almond/> Tennant was accused of being involved with reporting a false result of a drug test of NASCAR driver Tim Richmond;<ref name=almond2>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-21-sp-1130-story.html |title=Family Says Drug Test Falsified : Motor racing: Richmond's parents charge that NASCAR officials and their former drug adviser, Forest Tennant, used false tests to ban driver. |author=Elliott Almond |date=February 21, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref> the resulting lawsuit was settled out of court,<ref name=almond2/> and NASCAR terminated its relationship with Tennant in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-23-sp-1295-story.html |title=Tennant No Longer NASCAR's Drug Adviser |author=NEWSWIRE |date=February 23, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref>
Tennant became involved with methadone clinics in 1972 when he became director of UCLA's methadone treatment program, later creating the nonprofit Community Health Projects, Inc., which operated 29 methadone facilities in California. His clinics were repeatedly cited by California and federal authorities for serious and continuous deficiencies<ref name=Weikel1997/> and on several occasions had to reimburse the state for overcharges.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068572/1/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203091419/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068572/1/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |title=A Doctor And His Critics |author=Richard Demak, Jerry Kirshenbaum |date=July 10, 1989 |work=Sports Illustrated |access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref> In March 1997, following a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation, Tennant and Community Health Projects paid $625,000 to settle allegations that many of his clinics violated record-keeping requirements. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Richardson Pelliccioni, record-keeping was so poor at the clinics that methadone supplies could not be tracked adequately.<ref name=Weikel1997/>
Federal prosecutors said it was the long history of uncorrected violations that forced Tennant and his chain to pay the U.S. government $625,000 and avoid a civil lawsuit. Tennant and Community Health Projects denied wrongdoing and said they were victims of federal rules that were vague, bewildering, inconsistent, unevenly enforced, and contradictory to California law, and that no clinic could withstand the special scrutiny that Community Health Projects received as the state's largest and most visible provider of methadone treatment. Tennant called for new state legislation to clarify methadone regulations.<ref name=Weikel1997/>
Tennant developed methods of examining eyes to detect presence of drugs in the system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/treatments/pharmacological/opioids/eye-screening-intractable-pain-management |title=Eye Screening and Intractable Pain Management |author=Forest Tennant |date=June 1, 2008 |work=Practical Pain Management |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> His "rapid-eye exam" won praise from law enforcement authorities as an effective field drug sobriety test.<ref name=almondbio/> A home-use version, the "Rapid Eye Check Kit", was developed by Tennant and marketed by an Irvine non-profit group as an aid for parents in detecting teen drug use. Colleges, school districts and businesses in several states adopted the test. This test drew criticism for inaccuracy (including both false positives and false negatives) and intrusiveness. In a civil rights lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the University of Colorado's student drug-testing program, which included the test, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bellipanni concluded that the test was extremely inaccurate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-06-vw-1911-story.html |title=Keeping an Eye on Kids : Parents Trying Controversial Home Tests, Including Pupil Checks, to Detect Child Drug Use |author=Marcida Dodson |date=June 6, 1989 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-18-mn-418-story.html |title=Eye Kit for Drug Screening Not Accurate, Doctors Say |author=Dan Weikel |date=December 18, 1989 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>
It was announced on March 26, 2018, that Tennant would be retiring and therefore closing his pain clinic in the Los Angeles suburb of West Covina. It has been speculated that his retirement was partly due to an ongoing DEA investigation of his opioid prescribing practices.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Forest Tennant Retiring Due to DEA Scrutiny|url=https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2018/3/26/dr-forest-tennant-retiring-due-to-dea-scrutiny|website=Pain News Network|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>
==Politics and civic involvement== Tennant has been active in local Republican politics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-ga-9417-story.html |title=Mountjoy's Battle : Politics: The state senator-elect is a key player in the speakership fight. In an effort to oust Willie Brown from power, he refuses to give up his Assembly seat. |author=Rick Holguin |date=December 15, 1994 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-04-mn-56568-story.html |title=Dornan Basks in Improbable Comeback |author=Faye Fiore, Peter M. Warren |date=June 4, 1998 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> He founded the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the Lincoln Club,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laclc.org/your_area/san_gabriel/san_gabriel.html |title=Welcome to the San Gabriel Valley Chapter Home Page |publisher=Los Angeles County Lincoln Clubs |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203133428/http://www.laclc.org/your_area/san_gabriel/san_gabriel.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> a California Republican organization.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lincolnclub.org/aboutus/history/ |title=History |publisher=Lincoln Club of Orange County |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202132608/http://www.lincolnclub.org/aboutus/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has been active in civic charities, is the recipient of an NAACP Service Award, and was West Covina Citizen of the Year.<ref name=CountryDoc/>
Tennant served two terms on the West Covina, California city council in 1980–1988<ref name=wontrunagain>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-ga-39071-story.html |title=West Covina : Tennant Won't Run Again |date=January 28, 1988 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> and was also mayor of the city. Tennant was active in efforts to block expansion of landfills in the San Gabriel Valley<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-22-me-6774-story.html |title=Coalition Aims to Block Expansion of Landfills |date=November 22, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> and was opposed to County Supervisor Pete Schabarum's efforts to block the BKK Corporation landfill in West Covina from accepting trash from Los Angeles<ref name=wontrunagain/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-18-ga-14894-story.html |title=W. Covina Rejects BKK Ban on L.A. Trash |author=Jeffrey Miller |date=October 18, 1987 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> and clashed with Schabarum over plans to build a waste-to-energy incinerator in Irwindale.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-12-ga-21425-story.html |title=San Gabriel Valley : 2 More Cities Oppose Trash-to-Energy Plant |date=September 12, 1985 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-06-ga-16112-story.html |title=West Covina : Tennant Backs Schabarum |date=March 6, 1986 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref> Tennant also worked to block commercial development in Frank C. Bonelli Regional Park.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-03-ga-26380-story.html |title=West Covina: Bonelli Park Plan Opposed |date=December 3, 1987 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>
Tennant sponsored a bill in California, which became law in 1997, to make highly restricted narcotics more available to patients with severe and intractable pain. The law, which includes a "Pain Patient's Bill of Rights", requires doctors to advise patients who suffer from severe, chronic, and intractable pain that narcotics such as Percodan, Demerol and Dilaudid could be prescribed. According to Tennant and bill author Leroy Greene, doctors were failing to prescribe these drugs in the large quantities needed for severe pain relief because they feared prosecution for overprescribing a controlled substance, or because they are philosophically opposed to narcotics because they can create dependency.<ref name=ingram>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-16-mn-13133-story.html |title=Bill to Ease Access to Drugs for Pain Gains |author=Carl Ingram |date=July 16, 1997 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.med-help.net/PainLaws.html |title=California Pain Laws |author=Mark Norwood |work=Med-Help.net |access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>
==Selected publications== *{{cite book |last=Tennant |first=Forest |title=The Intractable Pain Patient's Guide to Pain Free Hours |url=http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/Intractable-pain-guide-to-pain-free-hours.pdf |access-date=January 7, 2014 |year=2013 |edition=3rd |publisher=Veract Intractable Pain Clinic |archive-date=January 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192817/http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/Intractable-pain-guide-to-pain-free-hours.pdf |url-status=dead }} *{{cite book |last=Tennant |first=Forest |title=What To Do While Looking for a GOOD Pain Doctor |url=http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/What-to-do-while-looking-for-a-good-pain-doctor.pdf |access-date=January 7, 2014 |publisher=Veract Intractable Pain Clinic |archive-date=January 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192535/http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/What-to-do-while-looking-for-a-good-pain-doctor.pdf |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web |url=http://pain-topics.org/pdf/OvercomingOpiophobia.pdf |title=Overcoming Opiophobia & Doing Opioids Right |author=Forest Tennant |date=May 2007 |work=Pain Treatment Topics |publisher=SBL Ltd. |access-date=January 7, 2014}} *{{cite web |url=http://pain-topics.org/pdf/IntractablePainSurvival.pdf |title=The Intractable Pain Patient's Handbook For Survival |author=Forest Tennant |year=2007 |work=Pain Treatment Topics |publisher=SBL Ltd. |access-date=January 7, 2014}} *{{cite web |url=http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/905-Feature-JFK-Tennant.pdf |title=John F. Kennedy's Pain Story: From Autoimmune Disease To Centralized Pain |author=Forest Tennant |date=September 2012 |work=Practical Pain Management |access-date=January 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206104317/http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/905-Feature-JFK-Tennant.pdf |archive-date=December 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web |url=http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/HowardHughes.pdf |title=Howard Hughes & Pseudoaddiction |author=Forest Tennant |date=July–August 2007 |work=Practical Pain Management |access-date=January 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014602/http://www.foresttennant.com/pdfs/HowardHughes.pdf |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite book |last1=Rawson |first1=Richard A. |last2=Washton |first2=Arnold M. |last3=Resnick |first3=Richard B. |last4=Tennant |first4=Forest S. |editor1-first=Barry |editor1-last=Stimmel |editor2-first=Joyce H. |editor2-last=Lowinson |title=Conceptual Issues in Alcoholism and Substance Abuse |year=1984 |publisher=Haworth Press |location=Binghamton, New York |isbn=978-0866563161 |page=41 |chapter=Clonidine Hydrochloride Detoxification from Methadone Treatment—The Value of Naltrexone Aftercare |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vBqDkAqoIDIC&pg=PA41 |access-date=January 22, 2014}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennant, Forest}} Category:Living people Category:People from Dodge City, Kansas Category:People from West Covina, California Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:University of Kansas School of Medicine alumni Category:Medical doctors from California Category:20th-century American medical doctors Category:21st-century American medical doctors Category:American medical writers Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:American nonprofit executives Category:NASCAR people Category:UCLA Fielding School of Public Health alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)