Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LaDarrick Smith addressed the Franklinton Rotary Club members at the January meeting, which was held at the Redbrick Café in Franklinton.

Smith is a senior at Varnado High School and a member of the Washington Parish Youth Coalition Against Drugs (WPYCAD). He discussed community assessments and evaluations.

Smith talked about the importance of identifying problems in the community, using data to back it up. Rusty Fornea, Executive Director for ADAPT, accompanied Smith and gave a brief overview of substance misuse and abuse issues in Washington Parish.

It is important to involve youth in addressing these issues. According to Fornea, each of the parish junior and senior high schools have a Youth Coalition and students are welcomed to apply for membership.