WHAT: Curbing the Substance Abuse Crisis Community Panel 

WHEN: Wednesday, September 27 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Dobyns-Bennett High School – Nancy Pridemore Theatre, 1 Tribe Way, Kingsport, TN 37660

Kingsport City Schools and the Tyler’s Light Foundation, in partnership with Eastman, are hosting a Curbing the Substance Abuse Crisis community panel and educational event, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017 at 7 p.m. located at the Dobyns-Bennett High School’s Nancy Pridemore Theatre. This event is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.

An opening presentation will be led by Wayne Campbell of Tyler’s Light Foundation, followed by a panel discussion. Panelists include Barry Staubus, District Attorney, Sullivan County; Cynthia Thomas, DO, MPH, Preventive Medicine and Public Health Physician, Tennessee Department of Health; Alisha Singley, Investigations Coordinator Northeast Region, Department of Children’s Services; Christina Keen, Lead Investigator, Sullivan County Department of Children’s Services; Julie Malone, Principal, Cora Cox Academy; and Hope Bruner, Counselor, Frontier Heath.

The goals of the community panel are to:

• Raise awareness regarding substance use in the community;
• Promote dialogue regarding casual adolescent substance abuse in the community;
• Provide education regarding addiction and the effect it has on families;
• Offer ways parents can reach out to neighbors, family members and children about prevention and treatment.

Reportedly, 1,451 overdose deaths occurred in the state of Tennessee during 2015. In the past year, 25 percent of infants born in Sullivan County were born having been exposed to some type of illicit drug or opioid. This is seen as a reflection of epidemic substance abuse and addiction within the community potentially impacting all facets of school, work and life.

For more information on Tyler’s Light Foundation visit, tylerslight.org.

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice and an alternative learning program; with total enrollment over 7,700 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to be, Student Focused … World Class.

KCS has been named the top school district in Tennessee as winner of the 2014 SCORE Prize District Award by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and has earned the 2014 Achievement Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee Recognition Program by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE).

For more information on KCS, visit k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, download our mobile app for Apple / Android devices or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District), LinkedIn (Kingsport City Schools) and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).

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