The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson, will host a free Movie Night in the Park event tonight (Friday, October 11).
The event will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park beginning at 7 p.m. The movie shown will be Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion†(rated PG) from 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. Free popcorn and drinks will be available while supplies last, a press release said.
Everyone is invited to attend Movie Night in the Park, a free event designed to provide a drug-free, tobacco-free, and alcohol-free event for local teens. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for outdoor seating, the press release said.
ASAP said Tennessee is one of nearly two dozen U.S. states and territories not protected by comprehensive smoke-free laws, which means more than 42 percent of the total population is unprotected.
“ASAP of Anderson, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing substance misuse in Anderson County, has been diligently working to educate lawmakers, parents, and other community members across Anderson County about the importance of smoke-free environments,” a press release said. “The ASAP Youth Ambassador’s Coalition in particular has been focused on preventing initiation of nicotine use, including through electronic devices, such as vape pens or e-cigarettes, as well as keeping clean air spaces available to everyone in Anderson County.”
The Tobacco-Free Movie Night is one of many efforts the Youth Ambassador’s Coalition is taking to increase awareness and educate, not only for their peers, but also adults in the community, the press release said. In addition to the movie night event, YAC members, students from Anderson County High School, Clinton High School, and Oak Ridge High School, visit state legislators in Nashville each year in February to advocate for substance misuse prevention, the press release said.
“They have also given presentations to leadership faculty and shared information with their peers on the harmful effects of nicotine and chemical compounds in vaping products,” the release said. “It’s not just high school students who are actively taking part in prevention. As of Fall 2019, programs similar to the YAC were launched at middle schools throughout the county.”
For more information about the Tobacco-Free Movie Night, contact ASAP of Anderson at (865) 457-3007 or email [email protected].
Questions about Movie Night in the Park can also be directed to the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department’s front desk by calling (865) 425-3450.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
You can contact John Huotari, owner and publisher of Oak Ridge Today, at (865) 951-9692 or [email protected].
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