Against Underage Drinking In Our Community

Please take a few moments to help CADCAT (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Across Tennessee) by taking a brief survey that will assess our community on youth access to alcohol. Make your voice heard. Thanks!

For all youth under 21 follow this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pitm_2b4TkniEMmzxt5QkSiw_3d_3d

For adults 21 and older follow this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vHWt1CUFucGUzv6kjwiDOQ_3d_3d

Blake McMeans captured the attention of over 100 middle and high school students during his visit to the new Brenda Lawson Youth Center at the YMCA in Cleveland. He didn't use any form of entertainment; no music or humor. Instead, he rose from his wheelchair slowly and with great effort, took two or three slow steps to the podium, and spoke with halting words. The group was completely silent and attentive.

Blake's message was one of challenge to young people, telling them that they must never drink and drive. He told the story about how he went overnight from being voted best looking in high school and being ranked #4 in the nation in tennis, to being confined to a wheelchair, all because he made the decision to drive after he had been drinking. He made it clear that he went from having it all to needing it all. It took years of rehabilitation to learn to do what had once been simple tasks, and he is still unable to care completely for himself.

The appearance of Blake was sponsored by Audio C (Against Underage Drinking in our Community). When a recent survey showed that over 82% of all 11th graders in Bradley County believed that underage drinking is a problem in our schools, it was obvious that action was needed. Audio C was formed as a result of a training program enacted by BICC (Bradley Initiative for Church and Community) and Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative. The program, Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA), is designed to reduce adolescent (13-20 years old) access to alcohol by changing community policies and practices.
Audio C has partnered with GRAAB (Going Respectfully Against Addictive Behaviors), the local anti-drug coalition, in an effort to unite forces and oppose the damaging and deadly effects that drugs and alcohol have on our youth and our community.

Both Audio C and GRAAB meet on a regular basis and meetings are open to the public. For more information on GRAAB, please visit their website at www.graabcoalition.com. For more information on Blake McMeans, visit his website, www.blakemcmeans.com.