The Chatham Rotary Club was treated to an informative program by Amanda Oakes, Prevention Services Director, Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services. Mrs. Oakes was introduced by Chatham Rotarian Walter Sullivan. Mrs. Oakes is a local graduate of Chatham High School, Danville Community College, and Averett University and is currently serving as President of the Regional Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.
The program gave a glimpse of local youth drug culture and trends. Mrs. Oakes explored the top priorities for Pittsylvania County youth drug prevention as identified by our community needs assessments: Underage Drinking, Tobacco/Vaping, and Prescription Drugs. She also shared the programs and strategies being implemented to address these issues.
Mrs. Oakes set up a RASP (Regional Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention) display that featured numerous handouts focused on strategies to address local drug culture and examples of items used by our youth in different trends in our communities. Rotarian’s were also encouraged to take a home medication lock-box to secure medications in the home and to take advantage of the upcoming community outdated or unneeded medication turn-in upcoming here in the community.
