Bethpage-Tribune_2009-10-30

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Hainview and OM Bethpage
For Over 40 Years
Volume 47 Number 41 329 Broadway, Bethpage, NY IJ7I4 October 30 - Nov. 5, 2009 ( 5{ 6) 68i. 0440 ext. 21 FAX( 516) 68^ 9354 Email; Nuz2u@ aQicom 50 Cents
BHS Hosts Multi- Community Parent/ School
Forum on Teen Drug Abuse
Dt: Steven Dewey, Investigator with the Center for Neiiroscience, Senior Scientist in the
Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory and an Adjunct Professor in the
Department of Pharmacology at SUNY Stony Brook, gave the audience a good look into
how various drugs ( including caffeine and alcohol) stimulate and harm the brain.
Bethpage High School welcomed parents, students, and school officials from eight
Nassau County school districts for a Community Forum on teen drug abuse, held in the
High School's Center for the Performing Arts.
The Forum was coordinated in collaboration with the Nassau County District
Attorney's Office, Nassau County Police Department, YES ( Youth Environmental
Services) Community Counseling Center of Massapequa, and the Bethpage, Farmingdale,
Island Trees, Levittown, Massapequa, Plainedge, Wantagh, and Seaford School Districts.
Participants were provided with valuable information on how to detect and combat
teenage substance abuse.
'' We were happy to be able to host this for many of the Nassau County communities
and to bring such noted experts in the field of addiction and dependence to Bethpage,"
said Bethpage Superintendent of Schools Terrence Clark. " The most important message
of the evening was the need for parents, schools, law enforcement officials and communi-ty
groups to work together to tackle this growing problem in our county. It was noted that
the national heroin problem is directly related to the early use of alcohol and/ or prescrip-tion
drugs, and that we need to be vigilant about both."
Dr. Steven Dewey, Investigator with the Center for Neuroscience, Senior Scientist in
the Medical Department of Brookhaven National Laboratory and an Adjunct Professor in
the Department of Pharmacology at SUNY Stony Brook, gave the audience a good look
into how various drugs ( including caffeine and alcohol) stimulate and harm the brain. He
also shared data regarding which substances appeal to children early on and how they
lead to the use of harsher drugs and negative behavioral patterns.
Teresa Corrigan, Bureau Chief of Street Narcotics and Gang Bureau with the Nassau
County District Attorney's Office, was also on hand with District Attorney Kathleen Rice
to discuss recent drug investigations and their impact on various neighborhoods. Ms.
Corrigan also reminded parents and educators that no child is immune from this problem
and that it can be difficult to spot in its early stages.
Jamie Bogenshutz, LCSW, R, CASAC, and Executive Director of the YES
Community Counseling Center, shared information on the warning signs of substance
abuse and how to reduce risky behavior in youth. This includes listening carefully to pre-teens
and teens and getting to know their friends, families, and teachers.
Linda Diorio, a Farmingdale mother who lost her 18- year- old son Erik to a heroin
overdose, provided a parent's perspective on the problem. Since the death of her son, Ms.
Diorio is on a mission to save other children. She said parents must focus on rehabilitat-ing
iheir children raiher than assigning blame.
Attendees of the Forum were also asked to bring any expired, unused or unwanted
prescripiion drugs and or illicit drugs as part of an anonymous drug disposal effort.
According to Dr. Dewey, legal prescription drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin are
popular narcotics that teenagers abuse, but often lead to the addiction of stronger sub-stances,
including heroine and cocaine.
For more information, contact YES Community Counseling Center at ( 516) 799- 3203 or
log on to their website ai www. yesccc. org.
ARROW EXTERMINATING COMPANY
LONG ISLAND WOMEN'S 5K RUN
CHECKS PRESENTED TO ISLAND
HARVEST AND LONG ISLAND OCEANS
Jackie Grabin of Arrow Exterminating and GLIRC's Debbie Blair pres-ent
the check to ( L to R) Esther Bivona, Eileen Tobin, Angel Donnelly &
Chris Reynolds of Long Island OCEANS
Lauren Kaufman of Island Harvest accepts the check from Arrow
Exterminating Co- President Jackie Grabin and GLIRC's Debbie Blair
Among the highlights of the October 20, 2009 General Meeting of the
Greater Long Island Running Club was the presentation of checks to Long
Island Harvest and to Long Island OCEANS and the battle against gyne-cological
cancers.
The checks were presented by Arrow Exterminating Company Co-
President Jackie Grabin and Debbie Blair of the Greater Long Island
Running Club, who serves as the Director of the Arrow Exterminating
Company Long Island Women's Run. The Meeting was held in the
Auditorium of the Plainview- Old Bethpage Public Library before an audi-ence
of about 150.
Arrow Exterminating Company is a Long Island based organization i i t,
pest control and exterminating profesionals that prides itself on being envi-ronmentally
conscious. They also are community conscious - hence their
sponsorship of the Women's Run and the charities that it benefits.
Jackie Grabin of Arrow Exterminating and GLIRC's Debbie Blair present
the check to ( L to R) Esther Bivona, Eileen Tobin, Angel Donnelly & Chris
Reynolds of Long Island OCEANS