SMART News

Fentanyl testing strips (FTS) were decriminalized in Tennessee in 2022, and since then have become a widely used tool for harm reduction efforts across the state. Considering that fentanyl has almost entirely replaced heroin and other opioids in the drug supply, we sought to find out if people remained interested in using FTS and would actually change their behaviors to take additional precautions to prevent overdose in a market saturated by fentanyl.

A standing room only crowd attended the workshop of the Rhea County Commission for a discussion on a continuing item, Our Fathers House….Commissioner Stephens said, “I am not against this. We need to slow down and make sure that we see that it is done right. I am not against anyone. I want this to be here for a long time. Not just for a year.”

The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) has announced the next round of statewide community grants. The due date for applications is December 13, 2024, at 10 p.m. Central Time. The application portal will open at 12 a.m. Central Time on November 12 and close at 10 p.m. Central Time on December 13.

Roane County is honored to announce it has received an award for Excellence in the Application of the Opioid Litigation Principles.

UT SMART is proud to announce that we are part of teams that have been awarded two of the Type 1 UT Grand Challenges grants, which have been launched to foster partnerships that develop innovative solutions to some of the state's most pressing issues: strengthening rural communities, overcoming addiction, and advancing K-12 education.

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When staff shortages and tight funding meet a rise in drug crime, you might not expect an overburdened police department to make extra work for themselves. Yet that is exactly what happened in Chattanooga in the mid 2010s, when calls to EMS started backing up so severely the cops had to start shouldering more of the response than ever before.

The article below is quoted from "UT Works with Community Partners to Address Health Issues in Rural Counties and Underserved Groups," published on UT's Research, Innovation & Economic Development website on August 28th, 2024. Please see the full article to learn about other ways in which UT is helping to improve the lives of Tennesseeans.

SMART’s Middle Tennessee Substance Use Response Consultant Trevor Henderson provides some key insight into what we are seeing with overdose trends. See below and read the full article for all pertinent information.

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“How can anyone be doing drugs when we all know fentanyl is in everything?” We at UT SMART hear this question a lot from community leaders across the state. How is it that people keep risking their lives when we know for a fact that drugs are more lethal than ever?

Sam Quinones, award winning author of Dreamland and The Least of Us, two books that dive deep into the social and cultural realities of the overdose crisis, may have the answer to that question.

Key Points