On behalf of the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s board of directors, I would like to commend Governor Haslam on the newly-unveiled Public Safety Action Plan.

Prescription drug abuse is the one of the greatest threats to our nation’s well-being. It is an issue that is devastating our families, our friends and our community. Prescription drug abuse crosses all race, gender and socioeconomic boundaries, and it doesn’t discriminate based on age or education. Overdoses are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in America. If we hope to reverse this trend, we must make prescription drugs more difficult and less appealing to abuse. Governor Haslam’s plan is a giant leap forward in achieving this goal.

Read more

It’s National Drug Facts Week! To celebrate, we enlisted the help of Knoxville teens to produce five public service announcements. Each PSA aims to shatter common myths about alcohol and other drugs.

To participate in National Drug Facts Week 2011:

1. Watch the PSAs at the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s YouTube channel.

2. Test your knowledge by taking the interactive National Drug IQ Challenge quiz.

3. Post your score to the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s Facebook page. Teens with the highest scores will be featured on the next edition of our ALERT newsletter!

Our October-December eNewsletter is heading your way! If you aren’t signed up, don’t fret. You can still get the latest news on our Newsletter page.

Mark your calendars for the “Preventing Teen Suicide and Substance Abuse” seminar on Thursday, October 6 from 8:30-11:00 AM at the Moses Teen Center. Guest speaker Anne Burnett Young (MS CAS) is the Program Director for Cornerstone of Recovery’s Young Adult and Residential Relapse Recovery Unit. She also serves as the East TN Chair for the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network.

A continental breakfast will be served beginning at 8:30. This FREE event, sponsored by the East Tennessee Council on Children and Youth, K-Town Youth Empowerment Network and the East Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network National Association of Social Workers, has been approved for 2.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Click HERE to register.

Have you seen our lastest promotional video? Some of the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s dedicated board members and coalition volunteers came together recently to discuss substance abuse in Knoxville, what the community can do to help and why you should become involved. Check it out!

Special thanks to the Knoxville Police Department’s Tech Services division for donating their time and talent to this project.

On September 24, from 10am-2pm, the Helen Ross McNabb Center, in collaboration with East Tennessee Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (ETAADAC), will host the 8th Annual Recovery Awareness Fair at West Town Mall in honor of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

Former UT quarterback, Erik Ainge, will be a special guest at the Recovery Awareness Fair and share his story and show his support. By combining prevention education and treatment and recovery services into one venue, we can effectively show the incredible resources East Tennessee has to offer in making a difference in people’s lives. Booths will offer information about local substance abuse treatment programs, prevention resources, and other social service organization information.

Mayor Burchett and the City of Knoxville will issue a joint resolution proclaiming the month of September as National Recovery Month at a press conference next Tuesday at 1:30 PM. Community members and the press are invited to attend. Click here for more information or download the flyer.

Photos from our 25th anniversary dinner are now up online. Check out the latest images in our Photo Gallery. You may even recognize a few faces!

Join the Metropolitan Drug Commission as it celebrates 25 years of service to the community. A fundraising dinner will be held on Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 PM at The Foundry.

Table sponsorships and individual tickets are on sale now on our 25th Anniversary page or by calling (865) 588-5550. Your ticket purchase will help MDC continue its tradition of community improvement in Knoxville throughout the next 25 years.

We hope to see you there!

The Knoxville/Knox County Mayors’ Youth Action Council (YAC), in partnership with the Metropolitan Drug Commission and the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, has developed a web-based program to encourage Knoxville youth to become engaged in local government.

The Citizens’ GPS program can help teens learn more about how local government operates and empower them to get involved.  Teens will learn to identify community problems through worksheets and problem-solving activities. Citizens’ GPS gives students an opportunity to work both independently and cooperatively.

Click here to view the full release.