As of January 26, Metropolitan Drug Commission will change its name to Metro Drug Coalition. As the organization has evolved over the past 30 years, this new name reflects the mission and commitment to stop substance use in our community.
Metro Drug Coalition is an organization that is able to convene all concerned parties around the issues at hand. Governments, schools, businesses, treatment providers, medical community, etc. are brought together in a nonthreatening and collaborative way to address the substance abuse issues in our region.
“The Board of Directors has had several discussions over the past few years about the need to update our name,” said Webster Bailey, MDC Board President. “The name itself, ‘Metropolitan Drug Commission’ has a governmental feel, and MDC is not a government entity, although we were founded by leaders of city and county government 30 years ago. MDC is a nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of the citizens of Knoxville. Changing our name to Metro Drug Coalition helps to better reflect the work we do.”
Since 1986, MDC has been an integral part of our county, city and state. It has continued to help improve the health of the greater Knoxville community by reducing the use of alcohol and drugs through policy, systems and environment change.
“Even though we are rebranding our organization, we want to stress that MDC’s support and long-term commitment to our community remains unchanged,” said Scott Payne, MDC Executive Director. “We will continue to fulfill our mission and vision of creating a healthy and safe community, free of substance abuse.”
“Substance abuse has become the major health issue in America and that’s no different here locally,” said Bailey. “There is a huge treatment gap for substance abuse and mental health and people are dying by the thousands. We absolutely have to come together, and MDC is the most logical organization to help lead the fight.”
This is the public roll out of MDC’s name change. The official name change of our 501(c)3 organization will take place later this year.