SAFE is partnering with Chesterfield and state police to increase DUI enforcement and to raise awareness of the cost of a DUI, especially among 18 to 24 year old male drivers. Click here for a cost breakdown. Click here to view SAFE's commercial.
On April 23, over 60 participants learned about SAFE's comprehensive, community-wide approach to preventing medication abuse. Presenters from each of SAFE's work groups shared their group's accomplishments and challenges. Participants had opportunities to express their viewpoints during an open disccussion. Pictured: Ann Reardon from the Commonwealth Attorney's office.
The next medication take-back will be held at Chesterfield Towne Center at the Family Safety Fair on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, click here.
Nineteen high school students participated as SAFE Teen Ambassadors in the fall and twenty-three participated in the winter session, mentoring and tutoring students at three elementary schools. They engage the younger students in activities that promote healthy choices and prevent substance abuse and provide incentives that include the program's "100% Me, Drug Free" message.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy visited Ettrick Elementary School on March 5 to learn more about SAFE's Teen Ambassador initiative, a partnership among Chesterfield Mental Health Services, Chesterfield Communities In Schools, and Chesterfield County Public Schools in which high school students mentor and tutor elementary students. Teen Ambassadors serve as positive role models and incorporate messages about about living a substance-free lifestyle into their interactions with the children. Pictured: Glen Miller, chair of the SAFE Board, and ONDCP Deputy Director David Mineta.
Michelle Anderson, an active member of SAFE, told her story at Journey Christian Church and has courageously agreed to share her story with a wider audience. Many teens in a recent focus group answered the question "What would it take for your friends NOT to drink alcohol?" with "serious injury or death of someone they love." Watch the video of Michelle's story here. She hopes others will learn from her experience and be spared the heartbreak she brought on herself and others.