SMART

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SMART: Providing Leadership in Mitigating the Opioid Crisis in Tennessee

The Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee (SMART) Initiative guides community leaders in implementing evidence-based, cost-effective strategies that mitigate damage from substance use disorder and the opioid epidemic.

Originating in 2020 as the SMART Policy Network, the SMART Initiative grew in scope as it was incorporated into the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service in early 2022. In addition to examining and communicating data and policies related to substance use disorder, the SMART Initiative seeks to empower communities and local governments to combat the overdose epidemic.


The SMART Policy Network periodically publishes research findings, data and best practices in the form of policy briefs. You can join our mailing list to get the latest policy briefs in your inbox, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.


 

(Podcast) The Kids Are Alright: Meet the Rocky Top Recovery Ambassadors

The Rocky Top Recovery Ambassadors are a group of college students, undergrad and grad, that identify as being in recovery...
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(Podcast) Fentanyl is Now a Felony in Tennessee

Earlier this year, three different bills were filed that would all increase the penalty for possessing fentanyl to a Class...
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Are Xylazine Test Strips a Feasible Strategy?

Most people are now aware of fentanyl testing strips, which were decriminalized last year in Tennessee. But with the rise...
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(Podcast) What’s Changing on College Campuses in Tennessee?

In 2020, the TN Together Student Survey found that the average age for first using a substance was 13 to...
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(Podcast) How Peer Recovery Patches Treatment Gaps

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that there is strong evidence for the effectiveness...
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(Podcast) What’s Happening with the Opioid Abatement Settlements?

Starting with the multiple guilty pleas from Purdue Pharma in 2020, thousands of lawsuits across the country have lead to...
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(Podcast) Organizational Failure: How Bad Business Caused the Opioid Crisis

Purdue Pharma. Johnson and Johnson. CVS. Walgreens. I could keep going. Drug manufacturers and distributors have rightly come under scrutiny...
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New Policy Brief: The Need for Point-of-Care Testing of All Illicit Substances

KEY POINTS An estimated 107,477 overdose deaths occurred in the United States within the last year, with about 4,000 of...
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