Education and Resources
Opioids 101
Opioids come from opium, a dried sap of the opium poppy, typically grown in Asia, North Africa, South America and the Middle East.
Commonly prescribed by medical professionals to relieve pain after surgery or to help patients with severe acute or chronic pain, opioids can be safe when taken as prescribed.
Opioids are highly addictive because they activate endorphins. Endorphins are the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain. With regular use, the brain develops a tolerance, which causes a need for increasingly more opioids to produce that “good” feeling.
Types of Opioids
Street names: Hillbilly heroin, OC, oxy, percs, happy pills or vikes
Signs and Symptoms
Serious dangers of opioid use include a reduction in heartbeat and breathing, reduced blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting, which could lead to death. There is also an increased risk of overdose.
Types of Treatments
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation recommends using a multifaceted approach to treat substance use disorder. It’s important to work with a team of certified counselors, licensed psychologists and psychiatrists, medical personnel, and wellness, recreational and spiritual specialists, as well as the patient’s family, to create an individualized assessment and treatment plan. Examples of multidisciplinary approaches are a dedication-assisted treatment with a 12-step program and making a long-term recovery plan.
There are four critical components to recovering from opioid addiction.
Critical components for recovery
Educational Resources
resources for youth
resources for schools and communities
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Health Services/Technology Assessment Tests
National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
National Association of Counties
National Crime Prevention Council
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Tennessee Drug Diversion Task Force
resources for adults
What You Can Do
spread the word
toolkits for educators
Get Smart About Prescription Painkiller Abuse
Project Northland (grades 6–8)
Class Action Curriculum (grades 9–12)
Protecting You/Protecting Me (for grades 1–5)
additional resources
TDMHSAS Support
In order to increase Tennessee’s effectiveness in responding to opioid outbreak events, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will be holding round table discussions with key stakeholders regionally. The purpose of these events is for participants to learn how to apply outbreak response methods to opioid overdoses, communicate with key community partners, describe surveillance sources/stakeholders involved in identifying and responding to opioid overdoses, and identifying roles and responsibilities for community partners during an opioid overdose outbreak. Below is a list of dates/locations as well as the link to register.