Letter To The Editor: Current Drug Epidemic

Jamie Bogenshutz, Executive Director of the YES Community Counseling Center in Massapequa recently wrote a letter to the editor regarding the current drug epidemic.

Read her full letter below:

Dear Editor:

We continue to read headline after headline about the current drug epidemic that is sweeping through our
nation. We continue to read about the power and consequences of drug use, and drugs which are accessible in every community and what these substances can do to the brains and bodies of those who use them.

There is such a fine line between the use and misuse of medications, which only reinforces the importance of understanding the profound risks and consequences of all medications. The truth is, this is everyone’s problem.

It is unfathomable and heartbreaking that we continue to lose so many lives in our community to overdoses
and the consequences of addiction. It is so critical that community members become informed about the problem and the efforts and partnerships within our community that are making a difference. At YES Community Counseling Center, we have witnessed that change can occur through community partnerships, prevention, and treatment efforts.

There are children and adults in our community who now have a greater sense of their worth; people who have committed to remaining substance and alcohol free; adults who have found meaningful lives in
recovery and are now a part of educating and supporting others who are struggling.

Even one overdose will always be too many. The Massapequa Takes Action Coalition is creating a culture that helps to prevent and reduce substance abuse through establishing and strengthening collaboration in the community. This Coalition is a partnership of community stakeholders including YES Community Counseling Center, the Massapequa School District, Long Island Prevention Resource Center, law enforcement, community leaders (religious, fraternal and civic), health care providers and local government.

The MTA Coalition is working to sustain programs such as Too Good for Drugs, promoting Drug Take Back events, and increasing access to naloxone training and distribution programs.

In 2016-2017, YES Community Counseling Center trained hundreds of community members in Massapequa to administer the lifesaving drug Narcan.

Our community must continue to place importance on prevention education as it is never too early to model and teach our children. In response to this growing epidemic, it is clear that we all must come together. We must be able to move beyond the stigma and shame that is so often associated with this disease. We must learn about drug use, what it looks like and most importantly how it starts. We cannot deny that people of all ages turn to substances for many different reasons, but most often to numb the pain albeit physical or emotional pain.

There is no simple response to this epidemic; it will demand that we all pay attention to our children and our neighbors’ children, our parents and our grandparents. If we are to make a difference and save lives, we must remain aware and educated and we must do this together as the strong and resilient community that we are. It’s time to do something . . . help us to spread the word; come to an MTA meeting; join an effort; be part of the solution.

For more information about the MTA Coalition, please email Cathy Samuels at info@mtacoalition.com or call 516-799-3000. If you or someone you know needs resources, support, or help, please call YES Community Counseling Center at 516-799- 3203.

The next MTA Coalition meeting is on Wednesday, November 29 in the Massapequa High School Little Theater.

Everyone needs to own part of the solution. It is the only way we will win this battle.

Sincerely,
Jamie E. Bogenshutz, LCSW, R, CASAC
Executive Director