East Tennessee State University (ETSU) responded to a funding opportunity from the Southeast Public Health Training Center in 2005 to develop a plan to address the methamphetamine crisis as a threat to the health of the public in the Appalachian region. An August 2005 invitational workshop included persons from eight different community stakeholder groups in six states. Based upon findings from this workshop funding was provided to conduct a major regional conference on substance abuse including methamphetamine production and use.

The March 2006 conference held in Johnson City TN was attended by twenty-six community teams composed of multiple stakeholder interests. Data from the conference and from the challenge grant applications was analyzed at a Ninety Day Working Group Meeting in June 2006 in Prestonsburg KY. A new community definition of substance abuse was generated; a model for evaluating factors related to community action identified, and research themes and questions proposed.

ETSU prepared the report and manual of best practices for the Sharing Best Practices: A Partner Approach to Substance Abuse conference July 27, 2009, sponsored by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and featuring grantees from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s first round of competitive substance abuse grants.

Research into substance abuse in Appalachia continues with an evaluation of the challenge grants, Appalachian case study in partnership with the National Opinion Research Center, and collaborative efforts with the Coalition on Appalachian Substance Abuse Policy.