NEWPORT-Newport Lions Club members learned about a new Prevent Use and Abuse program designed to help teenagers in Cocke County.

Jason Grooms, who started the business Family Care with Kenny Morgan, explained the program during Thursday's Lions Club meeting at Mountain Crest Inn.

Grooms said he and Morgan decided to start the business after seeing a shift to in-home services and how Cocke County high school students were being left out.

"When a worker from Knoxville would go up to say the Grassy Fork area, where their cell phone wouldn't work, they would become afraid," said Grooms.

"Not only would they be afraid, they had misconceptions of what the community was like because of the way some of the media has portrayed us. We had an above average number of students being placed into state custody.

"We decided we wanted to do something to help our youth."

Grooms said he and Morgan applied or a child abuse treatment license. He said the application process took about 12 months.

After obtaining the license, Grooms said the state then changed it policy and "we couldn't get a contract," he said.

"What we did was start talking to the community leaders to find the biggest needs. The key problem was the drug and alcohol abuse among our youth. Prescription drug and meth use became epidemic.

"After meeting with school system and juvenile court system, we started the Prevent Use and Abuse program."

For many teens, Grooms said they are part of the Appalachian cycle, where the parents or grandparents made moonshine.

Grooms said they were able to obtain a grant to fund the program two years and they now employee six people to assist youth in Cocke County.

As part of the program, teens are drug screened at least once a week. In addition, the program provides individual and family counseling.

"If you can get the parents to improve a little, you can get the kids," he said. "We try to get parents to be careful in managing their prescription drugs."

Juveniles in the program has access to an alcohol and drug abuse counselor and also have access to career counseling to help the students find hope for building a future, according to Grooms.

He said the program currently serves about 25 teenagers in Cocke County, with most having to spend three to six months in the program.

"It has been very successful so far," he said. "We're getting ready to have our first graduate.

"And the good thing is, this doesn't cost the parents anything."