Click here to listen on Spotify As the drug overdose deaths continue to climb, we have heard more and more Sheriffs and law enforcement officers across the state say “we can’t arrest ourselves out of this problem.” That the criminal justice system plays an important role, but not the only
TEMPO, or Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdoses, is a multi-coalition and nonprofit program to distribute naloxone and train musicians and concert venue workers to identify and prevent opioid overdoses. TEMPO has recently made waves in Nashville with a pilot program in partnership with Hikma, who makes Kloxxado, as
My guest this month is Karen Pershing, executive director of Metro Drug Coalition. In the last legislative session, Karen played a significant role in pushing for a bill that reduced the barrier to opening new syringe service programs in rural Tennessee. In this episode, we discuss the impact of the
The Rocky Top Recovery Ambassadors are a group of college students, undergrad and grad, that identify as being in recovery and or having a mental health disorder. Building a community on campus of students wanting a safer, sober college experience, the ambassadors hosted weekly all-recovery meetings and mental health events,
Most people are now aware of fentanyl testing strips, which were decriminalized last year in Tennessee. But with the rise of xylazine (also known as tranq) as a contaminant in the fentanyl supply, many have been asking about whether or not there are comparable testing strips for xylazine, and if
In 2020, the TN Together Student Survey found that the average age for first using a substance was 13 to 14 years old. Identifying and intervening at that age is thus crucial. Most of the time, however, the problem isn’t caught until later: usually when the person is college aged.
If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of addiction treatment, and that the biggest obstacle we face in combating the overdose crisis is an overall lack of access to that treatment. Health insurance is of course a
Read the full article at Knox News. More recovery centers have opened, telehealth use has exploded, drug courts and treatment-oriented incarceration alternatives continue to proliferate, and Narcan is more available than ever before. But overdose deaths continue to climb, and are now in fact the leading cause of death for
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. has announced that the FDA has fast-tracked their application for an over-the-counter (OTC) version of their trademarked Narcan nasal spray, and are anticipating approval as early as March 29th, 2023. A week prior, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf issued an open call for such applications, promising to assign
Read the full policy brief here. Key Points Opioid overdose deaths (ODD) are best understood as three phases: first due to prescription opioid misuse, followed by a rise in heroin use, and currently due to contamination by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Each phase has posed unique policy challenges. Numerous
