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Youth

McLean County High School's Cougar Council Fights Substance Abuse

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The McLean County High School (MCHS) Cougar Council is a student leadership organization focused on preventing substance abuse among students. Led by Leandra Keister, the McLean County Public School community education director, and Becky Tanner, the high school's Youth Services Center coordinator, the Cougar Council recruits students with leadership skills to join the organization. The club's main goal is to prevent alcohol, nicotine, and drug use among students, and they achieve this through various events and activities throughout the year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Cougar Council is a student-led organization at McLean County High School that focuses on preventing substance abuse among students.
  • The club has existed since before the COVID-19 pandemic and had to revamp after the pandemic, but it continues to be a prominent force in the school community.
  • Members of the Cougar Council help design events and activities surrounding Red Ribbon Week and prom, promoting abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, and drugs.
  • The club members attended a workshop on grant writing, resulting in a grant application that finished third in the state, focused on creating "Quit Kits" for smoking cessation.
  • Members of the Cougar Council met with Kentucky state Congress members to discuss SB 100, a bill to keep vaping devices out of the hands of minors, and saw the bill pass into law.
  • The club hosts McLean County Community Coalition meetings, where students present topics from the agenda to the community members attending the meeting.
  • Members of the Cougar Council have participated in national anti-vaping advertising campaigns, such as the "More than the Boxes" campaign.
  • The club actively recruits new members during the spring semester to ensure a smooth transition into the next school year.

Statistics:

  • The Cougar Council has been recognized at events and conferences for its leadership in substance abuse prevention.
  • The club's grant application on "Quit Kits" finished in third place in the state.
  • The bill (SB 100) to keep vaping devices out of the hands of minors, discussed by the Cougar Council members, was passed into law.
  • The Cougar Council hosts bi-monthly McLean County Community Coalition meetings.
  • According to Mason Howard, a sophomore member of the club, the "Quit Kits" have helped individuals in the community with smoking cessation.

Sources:

  • "MCHS Cougar Council fights substance abuse" by an uncredited author, The Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Ky.), 2025.
  • The uncredited author's work is distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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