L&N STEM Academy Winners

The winners of the “Legal Can Be Lethal” teen video contest have been chosen! The clips highlight the consequences of prescription drug abuse.

L&N STEM Academy came out on top taking first and second place. Fulton High School rounded out the scoreboard coming in third place. Scores were based on a combination of online votes and professional judging.

First Place- Team KAK (L&N)

Second Place- Crash Test Smarties (L&N)

Third Place- Pride Pictures (Fulton)

In addition, two special categories were added to the competition this year, Judges’ Favorite and People’s Choice:

Judges’ Favorite- Abby and the Boys Releasing (Fulton)

People’s Choice- Team KAK (L&N)

Congratulations to these great teams and their teacher sponsors! To view the winners and other student entries, visit our YouTube channel or MyBodyMyFuture.com.

National Prevention Week is coming soon! MDC will honor substance abuse prevention and mental health awareness on May 12-18. Many of our coalition members have already come out in support of this important awareness week by participating in SAMHSA’s “I Choose” campaign. The “I Choose” Project invites you to take a photograph of yourself or your friends holding a sign with a written statement about why you or they choose prevention.

Check out the photos and post your own to our Facebook page!

Knox County students want to let you know that prescription drug abuse and risky sexuality  is unhealthy and unsafe. Thirteen student teams are competing to see who can deliver the most creative video message in the “Legal Can Be Lethal / My Body, My Future” video competition. The video clips highlight the consequences of pill abuse and teen pregnancy.

We need you to help us choose a winner! Log on to MyBodyMyFuture.com now to choose your favorite video from Grace Christian Academy, Powell High School, Fulton High School and L&N STEM Academy. Remember, only one vote per person! Once your have cast your ballet, share the link with family and friends through email or on Facebook and Twitter.

Voting ends on Friday, May 3 at 5 PM. Check back on May 10 when we announce the winners. Good luck to these great teams!

Summer time is near, so pull out your khaki shorts and polo shirts because MDC is hosting its second annual “Tee off Against Drugs.” The golf tournament will kick-off on Friday, May 3, 2013 at Three Ridges Golf Course. Tee times will begin at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. with lunch served at 11:30 a.m. Please note, alcohol will not be provided by MDC.

The cost is $400 for a team of four or $100 per individual. Entry fees include lunch, goody bags and prizes.

For more information or to sign up, visit the golf tournament page

MDC has teamed up with the Knoxville Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (KAPPI) for the second annual student video competition addressing prescription drug abuse and teen pregnancy prevention.

Knox County high school students are invited to produce 30 second public service announcements in the “Legal Can Be Lethal” and/or “My Body, My Future” categories. Winners will receive lots of great prizes and recognition in the media.

Samples of last year’s entries can be found at our YouTube channel. Click on the playlist titled “A Look Back: 2012 2 Much/2 Soon Student Video Competition.”

Entry forms are due March 8. Final submissions are due by noon on April 12.

Students are encouraged to download the full information packet. For more information, contact Heather Sutton.

Become an Active Parenting Of Teens leader!

In today’s society, where children seem to become adults overnight and often make decisions about drugs, sexuality and violence before they understand the consequences, a parent’s job is more important than ever.

By becoming an Active Parenting of Teens group leader, you can help local parents develop the skills they need to parent their children more effectively. Learn how to host Active Parenting of Teens classes by attending a special Leader Training:

• Date: Friday, February 22, 2013
• Time: 1:00-4:00 PM
• Location: Knox County Health Department (140 Dameron Avenue), Community Room

During the training, you will review the Active Parenting of Teens program, learn the basics of group facilitation, sharpen your leadership skills and practice class activities with other up-and-coming leaders.

Register online by clicking below or call (865) 588-5550. For more information, contact Heather Sutton.

Impaired driving is a 100 percent preventable crime that kills more than 1,000 people between Thanksgiving and New Year’s each year. In honor of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, MDC is urging driving safety this month and throughout the year.

Read More

Break out your khaki shorts, shine those cleats, dust off that sun visor and perfect that swing! MDC is hosting its inaugural “Tee Off Against Drugs” golf tournament on Friday, June 22 at Three Ridges Golf Course in north Knoxville. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please note, alcohol will not be served on the course.

The cost is $400 for a team of four. Entry fees include lunch, goody bags and prizes. All donations are tax-deductible.  Teams can register online at our golf tournament page or download our entry form.

Drumroll, please! After more than 700 votes, a winner has been chosen in our 2 Much/2 Soon student production competition.

This year’s grand prize winning team is Team Rugrats from Austin East High School with “It’s A Choice.”

The team members were Saysha Cheatham, Mariah Ragland and Daryl Sligh. Way to go, Team Rugrats!

“This is the best feeling ever,” Cheatham, Sligh and Ragland said about taking the top spot. “We feel accomplished and proud to represent Austin East High School. We hope our commercial will inspire more teens to make better choices.”

Several other teams received high marks from our viewers. These top teams include:

2nd Place: The Four Ls, “A Matter of Time” (Austin East High School)

3rd Place: Team L.S.J.D., “To Uncle Jack” (Austin East High School)

4th Place: Team Beer Busters, “Beer Pong Is Wrong” (Grace Christian Academy)

5th Place: Reeces Peaces Pictures, “Busted” (Fulton High School)

Congratulations to these great teams! Prizes for the students and their teacher sponsor will be awarded in the coming days.

Thank you to all the students that contributed to this contest. We sincerely appreciate all of your hard work and creativity. You can view all student entries at our 2 Much/2 Soon page. We hope to see new videos from these students next year!

With prom and graduation season upon us, MDC is involving local parents in prevention. On Tuesday, WBIR Channel 10 is hosting an underage drinking town hall meeting titled “Too Much, Too Soon” at 7 PM in The Square Room. This event is an opportunity for local families to learn more about the health and safety risks of teen drinking and ask their most pressing questions to local experts.

At-home viewers can interact and ask questions on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #10NewsTownHall. After the meeting, please take this  short, 5 minute survey to help us evaluate our event.

Parents: Want to talk with your child about alcohol but are unsure where to start? Check out our Too Much, Too Soon page for practical tips to reduce risks and discover ways you can get involved in prevention.