SMART Initiative - Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee

In a market saturated by #fentanyl, are #fentanylteststrips still useful? Do people have different attitudes towards FTS if they use #methamphetamine or #opioids? Are people wanting to avoid #overdose or get "better" drugs? We surveyed people who use drugs for these and more answers. https://lnkd.in/ee4fGRiV

"Young #Black men in cities across America died of drug #overdoses at high rates in the 1980s and 1990s. During the recent #fentanyl crisis, older Black men in many cities have been dying at unusually high rates. They’re all from the same #generation." https://ow.ly/pal750UABtJ

"If the blow to Syria’s #captagon production leads to a permanent supply shortage, drug users will likely either pay more or turn to other #stimulants that are surging in the region, such as crystal #meth." We have a policy brief on #captagon and the broader #amphetamine market, and the potential considerations for #Tennessee: https://ow.ly/CvrO50Uu8t2 https://ow.ly/Z7SH50Uu8t3

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends against the use of #genetic testing as the sole indicator of #substanceusedisorder risk in #clinical practice. See why: https://lnkd.in/epSuGUBr

Vital Strategies has composed a guide for community advocates, policymakers and journalists to see the considerations for #opioidsettlement spending, such as rules for public comment, who oversees the funds and at which levels, and so on: https://lnkd.in/ej9nAA_W

LISTEN HERE: https://lnkd.in/edHyXFpc From 2001-2011, as the #prescriptionopioid crisis spiraled out of control, Kim Harmon, then with Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, went undercover as a person seeking opioids to bust pill mills, among other investigations into medical fraud. Shortly after she progressed up into a new role, however, her daughter Taylor’s own actual struggles with #substanceusedisorder began to spiral out of control, and suddenly this #lawenforcement officer, once tasked with imitating people with addiction in order to stop the flow of illicit pills, now had to figure out how she could help her own daughter find recovery. And yet despite all her experience and resources, it was not an easy road. Taylor’s struggles might sound familiar to many Tennesseans. Despite growing up in a peaceful childhood, a personal tragedy caused a tendency to over-drink into a full blown disorder, closely followed by a problem with benzos, opioids and other so-called hard drugs. Fortunately, however, her story of sobriety should be equally recognizable: she found a strong community of peers in #recovery and they helped Taylor find her own path. This is a fascinating, far-reaching conversation that touches on many topics. If I had to boil it down, though, I might say the big takeaway is that anybody and everybody is susceptible to addiction, and the most important thing we can do from a policy perspective is to make sure people with substance use disorder have real access to resources that make a difference.

See how #Tennessee compares to other states when it comes to regulating #methadone clinics. #OTP #mobileunit #MOUD https://ow.ly/ih4650Uu87i

There are several #policy options at the #state and #federal level that can increase access to #methadone. "Most notable are laws in 19 states and Washington, D.C., that require a “#CertificateOfNeed” to establish any new #OTP." https://ow.ly/c7o750Uu85c

"Chemical brokers such as Javier, known as #intermediarios, don’t garner the headlines of Mexico’s fabled narcotics kingpins. Yet they are the indispensable link between East and West." #fentanyl https://ow.ly/xtZU50Uu7MI

"For years, #pharmacybenefitmanagers, or #PBM s, took payments from #opioid manufacturers, including #Purdue Pharma, in return for not restricting the flow of pills." Many experts expect that PBMs may be the next wave of #opioidsettlements. The three largest are Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx. https://ow.ly/tHZA50UtIkj