East Aurora Advertiser

Column: ITAC Sector Spotlight: Youth Ambassadors



“Having youth leaders who are passionate about bringing new youth on board is incredibly important.” Vinayak Menon, Student, Forsyth County Drug Awareness Council.

Youth are our most important stakeholders when it comes to drug and alcohol education and awareness. ITAC stands for “It Takes A Community” – and we value our youth’s voices and want to empower them to take action for reducing misuse of drugs and alcohol among young people in our community.

Youth ambassadors are involved in many facets of what we do, which include but are not limited to: focus groups to identify important issues and ideas, volunteering at events and helping us craft our messages to the community. One of our most active Youth Ambassadors recently has been foreign exchange student Veljko Rakic, from Serbia.

Veljko is 18 years old and lives in Kosovo with his mom. His dad lives and works in central with along with other close family. Here in the U.S., Veljko lives with his host family – Mary and Tim Julian in Wales. At home, he states that tobacco and alcohol use are the most used substances by young people that cause problems. Here, he has noticed a lot more use of vaping and marijuana among teens, but a lot of the issues are similar. Veljko became interested in working with ITAC because of how much young people are involved in the community here – he says that young people don’t volunteer as much back home, so he wanted to see how it was done so he could take ideas home to his community.

“I think it’s a great opportunity [for adults] to see and learn what your kids need and how to help. Where to go, who to consult – if you see your kid has a problem with alcohol or other drugs.” Says Veljko, “For younger people, it’s really good to attend, help other peers – and learn about consequences, like with the speaker at the Snack & Chat.”

At the Snack & Chat coalition meeting in January, Mario Hernandez from Kids Escaping Drugs shared his life story about being involved in gangs and drugs and how he was able to turn his life around. For Veljko, this is an important part of how ITAC reaches out to young people. Hearing personal stories such as Mario’s and being given a chance to participate on interactive platforms are effective.

“ITAC should represent as a whole – a community who can support you, and who can help you out. [Young people] just need to turn to them, ask for them… just raise your voice.” said Veljko “I am really glad to be involved in this organization. I hope I can learn much more that I can bring back home and use to make my community better.”

If you or your student are interested in becoming more involved in our program like Veljko, visit www.itacemw.com or email itacemw@gmail.com

Raise your voice!

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This column was prepared by representatives with the community group ITAC. 

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