Oak Ridge Today



ASAP recognizes those who help prevent substance abuse

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ASAP of Anderson has recognized people who have supported the mission to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and adults in Anderson County.

In December, Anna Hurt of Anderson County Schools, Matt Reedy of City of Oak Ridge, Teresa Seals of Oak Ridge High School, Lisa Steffensen of Roane State Community College, and the City of Rocky Top staff were recognized at a special Community Coalition meeting, a press release said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought a special set of challenges, and these amazing community partners continued to go above and beyond to support the work of ASAP during overwhelming times,” the press release said. “The staff at ASAP extends a sincere thank you to their 2021 Partners in Prevention and looks forward to advancing community efforts to prevent substance misuse in 2022.”

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DEA Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday.

As part of the event, ASAP of Anderson is partnering with police departments in Anderson County to provide the community a “safe and convenient option to properly dispose of their medicines,” a press release said. “These events help avoid accidental diversion as well as environmental concerns that some home disposal methods can cause.”

The press release said opioid overdose deaths have increased during the pandemic.

[Read more…]

ASAP has Virtual Information and Resource Fair

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ASAP of Anderson will have a Virtual Information and Resource Fair this evening (Tuesday, April 13).

The event is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at Facebook.com/ASAPofAnderson. It will feature a panel of community leaders discussing topics that include the Tennessee Save a Life program, Count It! Lock It! Drop It!, the state’s social host liability law, safe teenager driving, available helplines, and hot to access a variety of other community resources and support services, a press release said.

One person who attends will win an Amazon Echo Show 5 door prize, the press release said.

[Read more…]

ASAP of Anderson 50/50 Raffle is Saturday

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The annual ASAP of Anderson 50/50 Raffle will be hosted virtually at 10 p.m. Saturday.

It will raise awareness and money for substance misuse prevention efforts in Anderson County.

The event is usually held at the Anderson County Fair, but the fair has been canceled.

Ticket buyers can view the drawing through ASAP’s Facebook and Instagram pages. ASAP encourages you to buy tickets.

The drawing itself will be streamed live on Facebook and Instagram. The winners will be announced Saturday evening on all of ASAP’s social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

[Read more…]

ASAP of Anderson seeking stuffed animals to help kids in Juvenile Court

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Juvenile Court running low on stuffed toys to comfort children

ASAP of Anderson is seeking stuffed animal donations for children involved in the Anderson County Juvenile Court system.

“Stuffed animals are offered as a comfort item in a juvenile court setting for children who have been separated from their parents or guardians,” a press release said. “The animals provide a sense of warmth and reassurance in a potentially stressful setting.”

Juvenile Court Judge Brian J. Hunt said: “Coming to court can be frightening for children. Receiving a stuffed animal can alleviate anxiety and stress and lets children know they are in a safe place.”

ASAP of Anderson has partnered with Juvenile Court after learning their stuffed animal supply has been running low, as no child should have to go without a feeling of support during a hard time, the press release said.

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ASAP, which works to prevent substance abuse, moves into new office

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ASAP of Anderson, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent substance abuse in Anderson County, has moved into a new office in Clinton that was provided by county school officials. ASAP dedicated the new space with a ribbon-cutting and open house on Oct. 24, 2019. (Photo courtesy ASAP of Anderson)

ASAP of Anderson, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent substance abuse in Anderson County, has moved into a new office in Clinton that was provided by county school officials.

ASAP dedicated the new space with a ribbon-cutting and open house on October 24.

ASAP, which celebrated 10 years of prevention last year, started out in a small space at the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, but its operations quickly grew. The organization next occupied space within District Attorney General Dave Clark’s office in Clinton, and the ASAP staff eventually landed, in 2011, on the fourth floor of the Robert Jolley Building on Main Street in Clinton. That space was provided by the Anderson County schools director at the time, Larry Foster.

In August, ASAP moved into a building not far from their original offices. The big difference? A space all their own, a press release said. A space where they can host their own coalition meetings, community trainings such as responsible alcohol sales classes and opioid overdose trainings, and host meetings for other community agencies.

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Drug Take Back Day is Saturday in Oak Ridge, Clinton, Norris, Rocky Top

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Anderson County is participating in the 16th Annual DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26. Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Collection sites will be located at the police departments listed below. Each department will be set up outside in their respective parking lots to receive the expired or unused medicines.

  • Clinton Police Department, 125 West Broad Street, Clinton
  • Norris Police Department, 9 West Circle Road, Norris (will begin at 8 a.m.)
  • Oak Ridge Police Department, 200 South Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge
  • Rocky Top Police Department, 104 Lawson Street, Rocky Top

The National Rx Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue, a press release said. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs, and that number has continued to climb in recent years. Studies show many of the misused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The Take Back Day provides an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths in the community and communities across the United States.

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ASAP to celebrate move with Oct. 24 ceremony

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ASAP of Anderson will celebrate its move to a new office building in Clinton with a building dedication ceremony on Thursday, October 24.

ASAP had been in the Robert Jolley Building on Main Street in Clinton for 10 years, a press release said.

The building dedication ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. October 24 at 131 South Charles G. Seivers Boulevard in Clinton. Everyone is invited, the press release said.

The ceremony will include coffee and light snacks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and open house for community members to explore the new space, the press release said.

[Read more…]

More than 550 pounds of medicines collected during Drug Take Back Days

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More than 550 pounds of unused and expired medications were collected during Drug Take Back Days in April, according to ASAP of Anderson.

ASAP of Anderson partnered with local businesses and police departments to collect unused and expired medications throughout the community, a press release said.

“A total of 582.2 pounds of medication was collected at six different Drug Take Back sites in April,” ASAP said in the press release. Collected medications are safely handled by police officers, turned over to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration representatives, and then incinerated to ensure they do not find their way back into the community.

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Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

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ASAP of Anderson and police departments in Anderson County have formed a partnership to take back expired or unused medicines on Saturday.

It’s part of the 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration Rx Drug Take Back Day.

“Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Saturday,” a press release said.

[Read more…]

ASAP Youth Ambassadors encourage peers to be safe, sober on Prom Night

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This time of year, high school students are looking forward to those wonderful milestone moments like prom and graduation. Regrettably, these milestones can sometimes go hand in hand with tragedy when mixed with drugs or alcohol, a press release said.

ASAP of Anderson Youth Ambassadors Coalition (YAC) are encouraging their peers to be safe and sober on prom night, the press release said. The ASAP YAC is made up of students from Anderson County, Clinton, and Oak Ridge high schools. Students designed posters that will hang throughout their schools in the coming weeks before prom to remind students they can “choose their fate.” This message corresponds with ASAP’s #IAMONE campaign. The campaign encourages youth to declare #IAMONE who will not use drugs or alcohol, the press release said.

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ASAP of Anderson, Oak Ridge Schools, ORPD collaborate to launch new school safety app

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Oak Ridge Schools is collaborating with Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County and the Oak Ridge Police Department to launch a new monitoring program that will allow parents and students to anonymously report concerns about student safety 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The program includes an anonymous tip reporting application, which is part of the P3 Campus family of apps designed specifically for use in schools as part of student safety and mental health, a press release said. The local version app will be branded AlertORS, and will be available to all students in the Oak Ridge School district on Tuesday, April 2. Reports can be made through the P3 Campus mobile app or through any web browser at P3Campus.com.

“AlertORS will help students and community members be proactive in the emotional and physical well-being of their peers by giving them a tool to make anonymous reports quickly, easily, and interactively,” the press release said. “Users can report a wide range of concerns from mental health issues to threats of violence. ORS has designated team members for two-way communication when a tip is reported so that staff members are able to respond to students directly through the P3 Campus app and keep the conversation completely anonymous.” [Read more…]

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