Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH), in partnership with the Live Healthy Douglas Coalition (LHD), Douglas County School System (DCSS) and other community partners, hosted the 16th annual Power in Truth (PIT) conference on Tuesday, October 18 for the prevention of youth substance abuse.
Keynote Speaker and Power of Peace Project Founder Kit Cummings addressed the crowd of 448 students and 37 advisors, urging them to remember that they are empowered to choose to avoid the dangers of drinking, tobacco use and other substance abuse.
“All you have is this moment in time. Your life is a series of moments, and one idea can change your life. It can change everything. Every decision matters. Today is about making exceptional decisions,” commented Cummings.
The conference was held at the First Baptist Church of Douglasville and featured workshops designed to empower Douglas County middle and high school students to make the choice to resist underage drinking, tobacco use, and all other substance abuse. Students were selected by the school system to attend the free event which counted as a field trip.
In addition to this year’s PIT, Live Healthy Douglas partnered with CDPH, DCSS, WellStar and other community businesses to host the Power In Truth Parents’ Night prior to Tuesday’s conference. The evening session invited parents, guardians and caretakers of middle and high school students in Douglas County to have dinner together and discuss the dangers and risks of substance abuse that their children might be facing, and techniques they could use to help their children feel empowered to make the choice to avoid drugs, tobacco and alcohol.