(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 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.

(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 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

Guest column: Harm reduction is key to recovery, preventing overdose deaths

A syringe wrapped in sterile packaging.

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

Naloxone Access Update: Over-the-counter Narcan expected in March, 2023

Narcan nasal spray in the package.

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

New Policy Brief: Opioid Overdose Deaths in Tennessee

Chart depicting overdose deaths involving multiple drugs.

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

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