Heroin Use and Abuse Special Edition"

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato has called the abuse of heroin an epidemic and has enlisted many local people and agencies in the battle to eradicate it.

The Ocean County Library will present a “Drug Use and Abuse Special Edition: Heroin” at five branches during the next two months.

Led by Lt. Joe Pangaro, participants will discuss the history of the drug, the scope of the epidemic and learn ways they can detect or help if someone they know is using it. Lt .Joe Pangaro, a leader in law enforcement training, presents an interactive program designed for teens, professionals and parents of young people heading off to or in high school.

In 2015 the use of illicit drugs like heroin and crystal meth are rampant in our country. The abuse of prescription drugs has skyrocketed and become a serious danger to the youth of today.

In an effort to empower the parents and guardians of today’s kids and to protect the children, Pangaro Training and Management has created this seminar. Many parents believe that because they may have experimented with illegal drugs as a teenager or used them more regularly than that, they know all they need to know to protect their children. They are wrong. The drugs on the street today are many times more potent than the street drugs of 20 or 30 years ago. There are more kinds of drugs out there. When you add prescription drugs to the mix the problem is compounded ten-fold.

A 25-year police veteran, Joseph Pangaro is uniquely qualified to bring information and guidance to these parents and guardians. He shows what the drugs and paraphernalia associated with the drugs look like, what the symptoms of use are, where the drugs are hidden in homes and in cars, and many of the excuses kids use to cover their drug use. Knowledge is power, this information can save lives. Not knowing what’s going on in the world these kids live in is no excuse and will be of little comfort if your child ends up addicted to drugs….or worse.

Sign-in for the programs begin at 6 p.m. and the programs will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:

 Dec. 7 at Tuckerton, 380 Bay Ave., 609-296-1470

Dec. 14 at Pt. Pleasant Borough, 834 Beaver Dam Rd., 732-295-1555. Professional development certificates are available to participants. Ocean County Library is a registered NJ Department of Education Professional Development Provider.

The programs are free and open to the public, but registration is strongly recommended. Space is limited. To register telephone the branch or go to the library website: www.theoceancountylibrary.org , click on the “Events & News” icon, then click on “Calendar of Events” and enter Pangaro in the search field.