Oak Ridge Today

ASAP: Students get the facts on drugs, win free chicken

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Victoria Seiber, the Chick-fil-A Cow, and Alexis Roy at Clinton High School for the ASAP Ambassador’s National Drug and Alcohol IQ Challenge. (Photo by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County)

Victoria Seiber, the Chick-fil-A Cow, and Alexis Roy at Clinton High School for the ASAP Ambassador’s National Drug and Alcohol IQ Challenge. (Photo by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County)

 

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The ASAP Ambassadors Youth Coalition from Anderson County, Clinton, and Oak Ridge high schools celebrated National Drug and Alcohol Facts week last week. Aiming to increase their peers’ awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, the student-led group organized the event.

Students from the three high schools tested their knowledge on drugs and drug abuse by taking the 2017 National Drug and Alcohol IQ Challenge during their school’s lunch periods. Student contestants answered questions in a buzzer style trivia game related to mental health, marijuana, and other drugs.

With the support of Project AWARE and Chick-fil-A, the event was a crowd-pleasing success, but most importantly, students gained valuable knowledge. [Read more…]

ASAP’s Strutner named 2016 Advocate of Year by anti-drug coalition

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Stephanie-Strutner

Stephanie Strutner accepted CADCA’s National Advocate of the Year Award in National Harbor, Maryland on Feb. 4, 2016. (Submitted photo)

Award recognizes individuals who are exceptional advocates for drug prevention field

Stephanie Strutner has been named the 2016 Advocate of the Year by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, or CADCA, the nation’s leading substance abuse prevention organization.

Strutner, executive director of Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, accepted the award on Thursday, February 4, during CADCA’s 26th annual National Leadership Forum. The forum was at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

CADCA represents more than 5,000 community anti-drug coalitions across the country.

The Advocate of the Year award recognizes substance abuse prevention leaders who are exceptional advocates in the field, forge relationships and educate their elected officials throughout the year about key substance abuse-related issues, and help to ensure that members of Congress understand the importance of community coalitions. [Read more…]

Red Ribbon Rivalry this month, buy ribbon for substance abuse prevention

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ASAP Logo

The 2016 Red Ribbon Rivalry is this month. It’s sponsored by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

This year, in Anderson County, ASAP is holding the Red Ribbon Rivalry during the month of January, culminating on Sunday, January 31. The main goal is to raise funds to prevent and reduce substance abuse here in Anderson County.

Local businesses are competing against each other by selling red ribbons for a $1 donation and displaying them in their businesses to show support for substance abuse prevention. The winning businesses and employees will receive recognition for their efforts as well as individual prizes for the top sales associates. Anderson County High School, Clinton High School, and Oak Ridge High School are also competing this year to see who will be the recipient of the Red Ribbon Rivalry trophy to be displayed at their school for the year. [Read more…]

ASAP Youth Coalition joins other young leaders at Teen Institute

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ASAP Youth Coalition at Tennessee Teen Institute

Front row from left to right are Olivia Kelly, Reagan Wolfe, and Courtney Sharp.
Second row from left to right are Emma Berry, Hope Hicks, Jake Wade, and Kaylee Hunley.
Third row from left to right are Mary Tuskan, Jacob Reed, Ryan Wiggins, and Gabe Merritt.
Top row from left to right are Michael Beal, Cameron Moore, and Michael Foster. (Photo courtesy ASAP)

 

Students from Anderson County joined more than 400 youth leaders from across the state at a recent Tennessee Teen Institute. The Tennessee Teen Institute is a five-day youth leadership and prevention camp sponsored by the Jackson Area Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency.

The Anderson County Health Department and ASAP (Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention) sponsored two teams of six youth to participate in TTI, one from Anderson County High School and one from Clinton High School.

“This is the third year we have been able to sponsor youth to attend the Teen Institute, and it has shown an excellent return,” said Stephanie Strutner, ASAP executive director. “Students return energized to serve as peer leaders and make positive changes in their schools.”

This was the 27th year of the Teen Institute Program in Tennessee, a press release said. The program addresses teen issues such as bullying, violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, distracted driving, teen health, and substance abuse prevention through a five-day, peer-led prevention camp designed to provide teen participants with the skills and education necessary to develop and implement alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs in their own communities. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge to support crime prevention with National Night Out

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Oak Ridge will join communities throughout the country celebrating National Night Out from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1. The evening is designed to heighten awareness of crime prevention and to strengthen neighborhood involvement in anti-crime programs and police-community partnerships.

The Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program is supporting the Oak Ridge Police Community Resource Office in planning the city-wide National Night Out event. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this unique crime prevention program promoted by the National Association of Town Watch Groups. [Read more…]