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Preventing Youth Substance Misuse In Tennessee, W Alex Mason, Johnnie B. Bower, Jennifer Tourville, Karen Pershing, Katie Cahill

SMART Policy Briefs

This brief will highlight the nature of the youth substance misuse problem in Tennessee. It will also outline recommendations on how the state can move forward with further investments to help address youth substance use prevention.

Key Points

• Adolescent substance misuse is widespread and costly.
• Substance misuse prevention works and is cost-effective.
• Prevention represents a long-term investment rather than an ongoing expenditure.
• Tennessee needs to scale up and sustain evidence-based prevention interventions.

Adolescent substance misuse and its consequences continue to be a challenge in Tennessee communities. To address the problem of substance misuse in Tennessee’s youth and young adults, it …

The Cost Of Stigma, Jeremy Kourvelas, Carole R. Myers Dr., Katie Cahill, Karen J. Derefinko Phd, Robert Pack Phd, Kelly E. Moore Phd, Jennifer Tourville

SMART Policy Briefs

Key Points

• Substance Use Disorder (SUD), formerly known as addiction or substance abuse, is a treatable medical condition, but fewer than 1 in 10 Tennesseans with SUD receive treatment.
• Stigma can lead to a view of those with SUD as weak-willed, unmotivated, and unlikely to recover. However, the reality is that about 60% of people with SUD experience full remission.
• Treatment is also fiscally sound: every $1 spent on evidence-based treatment for SUD saves $12 in healthcare and criminal justice costs.
• How we talk about SUD is the beginning of reducing stigma. Using person-first language such as …

Substance Misuse And Incarceration In Tennessee, Katie Cahill, Duane Slone, Jason R. Trautwein, Ricki Dierenfeldt Phd, Kelly E. Moore Phd, James M. Hart, Jennifer G. Tourville Dnp

SMART Policy Briefs

Key Points

• Corrections in Tennessee cost over $1 billion annually due to a rising incarceration rate.
• The State’s increasing incarceration rate is related to the growth in substance misuse which on its own costs Tennessee $2 billion each year and leads to over $1 billion in lost income from a shrinking work force.
• Prioritizing evidence-based treatment that targets the underlying medical and behavioral issues driving addictive habits for justice-involved individuals could simultaneously address rising recidivism, reincarceration, and growing substance misuse.

See report attached, and for additional information, visit https://smart.tennessee.edu/policy-briefs/substance-misuse-incarceration-tn/ .

Better Broadband For Better Health, Jeremy Kourvelas, Katie Cahill, Carole Myers Phd, Jennifer Tourville, Sreedhar Upendram

SMART Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

Telehealth Improves Access To Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Jeremy Kourvelas, Carole Myers Phd, Katie Cahill Phd, Stephen Loyd Md, Jennifer Tourville Dnp

SMART Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.