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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.

My guest this month is Nathan Payne, director of collegiate recovery at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. We discuss how the attitudes on college campuses in Tennessee have changed over the last decade, becoming much more proactive about addressing unhealthy drinking habits and preventing substance use disorders. After all, if we are going to make a dent in this crisis, we have to head the problem off before things spiral out of control. We have to help the next generation.

Hosted and produced by Jeremy Kourvelas. Original music by Blind House.