Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition

About Us

The Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition (RCADC) is a private, non-profit, grassroots corporation with the adopted mission of raising awareness of substance abuse issues that pertain to the Roane County, Tennessee area. Furthermore, RCADC will seek programs of intervention, prevention and hope for our citizens with an emphasis on youth, teens, and young adults.

The Coalition meets at noon, the second Wednesday of each month, at the Kingston United Methodist Church Annex (121 South Kentucky St., Kingston, TN 37763. Public input is invited. All meetings are open to the public.

E.T.T.I.- Each summer RCADC sponsors teams from each area high school to attend the East Tennessee Teen Institute (ETTI). ETTI is a camp held each June at Hiwassee College that provides students with education and training in youth development, leadership and drug prevention.
P3- Positive Peer Pressure (P3) clubs have been initiated in all five high schools in Roane County. The P3 clubs are designed to promote drug-free lifestyles among youth by providing education on the risks of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. For more information about P3 please visit their website at www.ppp.com.
C.A.M.P.- RCADC and the National Guard Counterdrug Division sponsor the Children’s Attitude Motivation Program (CAMP) each summer. CAMP is a 6 week program for “at-risk” youth. CAMP is a court ordered program designed to teach teenagers teamwork and self-discipline.
Education- RCADC has placed literature racks containing anti-drug brochures in each high school and middle school in Roane County. RCADC works closely with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Roane County Health Department and the Coordinated School Health program to ensure that all educational material remains current and relevant to the needs of the youth and adults in Roane County.
Red Ribbon Week- Red Ribbon Week is celebrated nationally each year during the last month of October. Each school in Roane County participates in Red Ribbon Week. The Coordinated School Health Program organizes activities in local elementary schools while RCADC coordinates efforts in the high schools and middle schools. The goal of Red Ribbon Week is to educate students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Stay on Track- In partnership with the National Center for Prevention and Research Solutions (NCPRS), the National Guard Drug Demand Reduction unit developed the Stay on Track (SOT) program. The Stay on Track (SOT) program is an innovative, fun, and comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention. The research-based curriculum is designed for classroom implementation by teachers of middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8) students. Special emphasis is given to tobacco, club drugs, hallucinogens, alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana, and inhalants. The first Stay on Track program was implemented at Cherokee Middle School during the 2007-2008 school year. For more information on this program, please visit www.stayontrack-online.com .
Roane State Community College- RCADC has partnered with RSCC to host an annual drug forum to help educate community members on issues pertaining to drugs and alcohol. RCADC also participates in the annual Freshman Experience presented by RSCC for new students. During this event, educational information on alcohol and drug abuse is handed out to students.

DFC- RCADC is federally funded through the Office of National Drug Control Policy Drug Free Communities grant. This grant enables communities to identify and respond to local substance abuse problems.
SPF-SIG- RCADC is participating in a statewide effort to strengthen drug prevention programs in Tennessee. The Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) is funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, a division of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The SPF-SIG program is designed to provide the framework and resources for communities to partner with each other in order to strengthen drug prevention efforts in Tennessee. Through the SPF-SIG program, the RCADC will implement evidence based programs to focus on underage drinking and capacity building within the coalition.

Community Anti-Drug Coalition Grant- With funding from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilibites Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, RCADC has established a campaign aimed at addressing the retail accessibility of alcohol for youth. The evidence-based strategies selected for this project include 1) compliance checks for establishments that sell alcoholic products in Roane County; 2) Responsible Beverage Service training for alcohol-selling merchants; 3) a community awareness media campaign that addresses the consequences of purchasing alcohol for minors; and 4) a media campaign aimed at Roane State Community College addressing the consequences of students of legal age purchasing alcohol for minors. The expected outcomes of this project are 1) increased compliance checks by local law enforcement agencies; 2) increased knowledge among local merchants to prevent underage alcohol sales; 3) increased awareness of the consequences for parents purchasing alcohol for minors and; 4) increased awareness of the consequences for purchasing alcohol for minors among college students.
Partnerships for success- The State of Tennessee has received a Parterships for Success grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This funding will be focused on binge drinking. Tennessee's Partnership for Success Project has a goal of reversing the state's upward trend in binge drinking by decreasing the total number of 14-25 year olds who engage in binge drinking within any 30-day period by 4.3 percent over the five-year grant period. The Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition will be participating in this project. For additional information about SAMHSA grants go to http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/.
BBB Communications- On the second Monday of each month RCADC is featured on the local news presented by BBB Communications on cable channel 12. Each month coalition members provide interviews on various drug and alcohol related topics. Each newscast reaches 30,000 local viewers.
Public Service Announcements- The RCADC has recorded several Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) that are aired daily on WKTS 90.1FM. The PSA’s provide tips for parents regarding drug and alcohol use among teens.
RCADC Newsletter- RCADC publishes a quarterly newsletter with information on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in Roane County. The RCADC newsletter is distributed to teachers and administrators, businesses, churches, public officials and citizens of Roane County. Circulation of the newsletter promotes the mission and purpose of RCADC. If you would like to be included in the mailing list please contact Sara Daugherty by email at sdaugherty@knology.net or by phone at 865-224-0399.
Balloon Release – Each year in November the “Say No to Drugs” Balloon Release is held at the Oak Ridge Memorial Park in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to drugs. The balloon release was originated in memory of Clayton Smith who lost his life to a drug overdose in 2004. Please visit www.claytonslesson.com for more information.
Treatment Resources- RCADC has established contacts with various alcohol and drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities in East Tennessee. We are prepared to help families and those in need of treatment with information and referrals. Through our contacts we are able to expand our search for treatment outside of East Tennessee and out of state if necessary.

RCADC members hold seats on two important committees in Roane County, the School Health Advisory Council and the Roane Health Council. Serving on these committees enable coalition members to establish dialogue with members of the community focused on similar goals. RCADC members are eager to assist these groups whenever possible with their vital programs and projects. Participation in these activities strengthens collaboration between RCADC and other groups committed to serving the citizens of Roane County.