Heroin Invading Long Island Schools
Over 500 concerned parents attend forum in Hauppauge
Last Thursday, as Long Island schools were finishing their first full week of classes, parents gathered in the auditorium of Hauppauge High School to listen to a panel of speakers about the rising trend of heroin use on Long Island. The parent symposium, titled, Heroin is Here, was sponsored by the Islip Cluster of School superintendents, which includes twelve school districts in Western Suffolk. For two hours, parents and other concerned community members heard from a DEA agent, grieving parents, a politician and a medical investigator, about the growth of heroin in our communities.
“It is only with an informed public that we will be able to battle what is becoming the next crisis for our youth,” said Hauppauge Superintendent Patricia Sullivan, who introduced the different speakers throughout the evening. Charles Bernard, a special agent with the DEA, explained that “we in law enforcement became aware of heroin on Long Island a long time ago,” but went on to explain that only more recently has the epidemic begun to be noticed by most Long Island communities. When the parents of Natalie Ciappa spoke, they stressed that there is no stereotypical user anymore. “It’s everywhere. Do not sit there and think, not my child.” Natalie was a Long Island honors student who died of a heroin overdose a week before her high school graduation last year, and has since become a sort of poster child for the new face of heroin in suburban teens. Since Natalie’s death, her parents have become active trying to raise awareness and help inform other Long Island parents. “This is hitting everybody’s kid. This could happen to anyone’s child,” said Natalie’s mom, who was on the verge of tears as she recalled her own daughter’s death. She urged parents to be proactive and search their children’s bedrooms or even give them a drug test. “It’s better to insult your kid than to bury them.” When the Ciappa’s ended their twenty minute talk and walked to their seat, the entire auditorium gave them a long standing ovation.
Mr. Bernard, the DEA agent, explained the path heroin takes, in what he called “the heroin trail”. While most of the world’s heroin is produced in Afghanistan, the majority of the drug that reaches the North East originates in Colombia. Pure heroin is produced from the poppy plants that are cultivated in Colombia’s mountains and smuggled into the US. Once in the country, it is taken to a “heroin mill” where it is mixed with any of a number of other powders to add volume and increase profits and packaged for resale. Much of the heroin that reaches our communities is picked up by Long Island teens that drive into the city and pick up small quantities to sell to their friends and support their own addiction. Because heroin is being brought to the community by teenagers who usually only sell to their own friends, it is hard for law enforcement to track, explained the DEA agent. The $8,000 kilo in Colombia may become close to a quarter of a million dollars by the time the trail ends. “Each and every one of you is nothing more than an economic opportunity to these people,” said Legislator John Kennedy (R – Nesconset), who helped organize the event.
Dr. Stephan Dewey of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research was also on hand to speak about the long and short term effects of heroin and how addiction works. “Doctors overmedicate to protect themselves from lawsuit. Virtually all [heroin] users begin with prescription pain medications. ” He further explained that heroin is cheaper and more accessible than prescription drugs and because of increased purity levels most start by snorting or smoking the drug, rather than intravenous injection. Though as the addiction increases many do go straight to the blood stream. Addiction can happen quickly and the drugs use will permanently lower brain activity, even after a user becomes clean. The drug also creates a dependency for the body and makes it very difficult to stop using.
After the speakers, parents were invited to go across the hall to the gymnasium where about two dozen organizations had set up tables to give information and answer any questions. “What my colleagues and I hope to do is begin a conversation that does not end here,” said Superintendent Sullivan in her closing remarks.