While doctors are prescribing fewer and fewer opioids, there’s one that’s not going away – buprenorphine, often known by its brand name of Suboxone. Compared to other narcotics, it's harder to abuse. It’s far less dangerous than the synthetic street drugs. And it reduces the risk of overdosing. But it’s still an opioid that is very hard to get off of. The number of Tennesseans prescribed these opioids as addiction treatment jumped by 40% in just five years. As we look this week at all sides of a philosophy known as “harm reduction,” today we focus on access to the opioids meant to get us out of the opioid crisis.

Guests

Leslie Cole, MD, addiction physician, Springfield, Tenn.

Josh Draper, program manager, Sumner Prevention Coalition

Tracy Frame, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice and director of the Flourish Mobile Clinic, Belmont University

Chap Cuthbert, community response peer support, Mental Health Cooperative

On today's episode of "This Is Nashville," we dive into the work of sanctioned harm reduction.

Needle exchanges, distributing drug overdose reversal medication and fentanyl test strips — these tactics to limit the damage of the opioid crisis were once broadly illegal in Tennessee, and now they’re being used by certain groups to, essentially, help people use drugs more safely without necessarily trying to get them to stop. It’s all about keeping someone alive, even if it does little to treat the drug addiction that is leading to so many deaths.

We’re exploring ways through the opioid crisis this week by focusing on a philosophy known as “harm reduction.” Monday was all about underground tactics to avoid regulation. Today we’re going above ground with physicians, social workers, and locals with lived experience to understand what’s allowed under Tennessee law. And we’ll hear that even among addiction experts, there are still questions about what’s the best path forward.

You can also see us live at noon streaming on YouTube.

Today's episode was produced by Josh Deepan. 

Guests

When it comes to drug addiction, trying to help someone quit can feel like a lost cause. But there are still ways to keep people as healthy as possible. They’re just a little bit controversial. It’s a philosophy known as "harm reduction."

And some of the work isn’t just controversial – it can be illegal in Tennessee. A few harm reductionists are willing to take legal risks because they see the work saving lives.

Today launches a week of This Is Nashville episodes about finding our way in the ongoing opioid crisis. And we start with the complicated tale of an underground harm reductionist and her work trying to overcome the stigma of drug use in an effort to keep people alive. She is committed to the idea that saving the lives of people in active drug addiction is more important than trying to get them to stop using. Through her story, we also learn that stigma can do as much damage as drug use itself.

Related:

• WPLN: A Betor Way, Memphis: Peers find a better way to save lives
• Bury This Heirloom, Ziona Riley
• WPLN: To combat rising overdoses, a prevention specialist must first overcome the stigma of addiction

It’s Thursday and time for another episode of The Roundabout.

The Roundabout is your news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center. Joining us today are attorney John Spragens, former reporter and political operative who also previously handled communications for Congressman Jim Cooper; Toby Compton, who worked for Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and also in the administrations of governors Bill Haslam and Bill Lee; And Sarah Grace Taylor, reporter with the Nashville Banner. 

And The Roundabout also welcomes your voice on the big stories of the week! What story is making the rounds in your circle? Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in — or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat.

This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

Guests:

Chicken and Waffles, shrimp and grits, powdered sugar on top of fresh French toast—not to mention bottomless mimosas.

For those not addicted to social media, that spells brunch. According to listwithclever.com, New Orleans, Indianapolis and San Francisco are ranked among the top cities in the country for that late-morning, breakfast/lunch hybrid. Although Nashville is known for music, food, and satiating that grumbling stomach after church, it seemingly lags behind other brunch-centric cities. On today’s show, we take a look at the brunch scene in Nashville. We’ll speak with chefs and restaurant owners, as well as experts in the field of catering and fashion to better understand the culture and history of brunch and its local impact.

This episode was produced by Anthony White and Josh Deepan.

Guests

We have an episode dedicated to a tiny fraction of the population that fascinates us all: the identical twins in our midst. Life is just different for those who share all of their genetics — and we’re looking to understand them more.

We’ll talk to Middle Tennessee twins who work together keeping our community safe, teenage twins growing up and one twin who you hear every day on our show. We’ll also meet the parent and a spouse of identical twins to learn about how they love the twins closest to them. It’s going to be a double fun hour. Join us!

This episode was produced by Liv Lombardi and Katherine Ruppelt.

Guests:

It’s Thursday and time for another episode of The Roundabout.

The Roundabout is your news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center. Joining us today are former congressional candidate Kiran Sreepada, Vanderbilt young Republican Noah Jenkins and the Tennessean’s Austin Hornbostel. We’re stepping back from the news of the week and looking for meaning in it all. Gov. Lee resisting guard troops policing Memphis, the latest on the airport tunnel, and the Cracker Barrel kerfuffle. Plus headlines that flew under the radar.

And The Roundabout also welcomes your voice on the big stories of the week! hat story is making the rounds in your circle? Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in — or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat!

This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

Guests:

There’s a caregiving crisis in America, and taking care of our parents is just one part of the struggle.

It’s caring for adults with a disability. It’s grandparents raising kids again, or parents as primary caregivers for a medically complex child. Then there are friends caring for friends like they’re family. Today is dedicated to highlighting resources to help caregivers of all kinds – both paid and unpaid. And, we're taking your calls. Call 615-760-2000 to ask the experts – or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat!

Plus, we hear about actor Bradley Cooper’s new PBS documentary about caregiving in America, which probably hits home because most of us will spend part of our life playing the role he played for his father. As first lady Rosalynn Carter said, "There are only four kinds of people in the world – those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”

This episode was produced by LaTonya Turner and Mary Mancini.

Guests

Welcome back to our second season of In My Place. This special series educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused.

In our last episode, we heard about how last minute hurdles can stand in the way of an apartment.

Today? We’re going home.

We’re gonna hear what it’s like to finally open that door, what all it takes to get set up, and how that’s different from folks like you and me…who likely have a few more resources available to us.

Over the course of nine monthly episodes, we’re learning what it feels like to access services and weave through our local homelessness and healthcare systems. And we’re discussing what services work, what resources are missing, and what ideas our guests have for improvement.

This series was created thanks in part to support from Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and was produced by Judith Tackett.

Guests:

• Sarah Champion, Housing Stability Guide for The Contributor & co-director for The Beat
• Andrew Terry IV, Program Operations Team Lead with The Contributor
• Billy Warner, case navigator, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with Community Care Fellowship
• Jonquil Stewart, expert through experience
• Lisa Abell, vendor with The Contributor

Earlier this year, Demetrius Short spoke at Fisk University's Honors Convocation and got some apologies off his chest. He disclosed to his mentors and professors he was sneaking into their offices to sleep on their couches. He was grabbing a tray of chicken legs and hoping the cafeteria workers would look the other way. He was attending class for years without officially being enrolled as a student.

Through seven years scraping by in school, Short always kept an internship. With no car, he walked both ways from the Fisk campus to an office in West End, wearing a suit and alligator skin shoes. After graduating, Short used that experience to start a fundraiser 5k where runners are asked to wear suits and sneakers. The Steps of Success 5k is now in its 15th year.

When a man can run a 5k in a full business suit, he’s got a story worth tuning in for. Join us!