Schools
County, Sachem Schools Launch Program on Drug Abuse
Peer to Peer Program to Provide Education on Healthy Choices
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – (January 15, 2015) – Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone joined Legislator William Lindsay III, Legislator Monica Martinez, representatives of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and hundreds of parents and administrators from Sachem Central School District Wednesday evening to launch a ground breaking peer-to-peer pilot program to combat substance abuse.
The program, a partnership between the county and school district, is a proactive approach to substance abuse education where older students in the district will meet with younger students to discuss healthy choices.
“Suffolk County is committed to creating long-term and sustainable solutions to the heroin and opiate epidemic that is plaguing our region, and those solutions start with our young people,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. “We hope this pilot program will become a model for school districts across Suffolk County, giving our students the tools and education to help them navigate experiences with drugs, alcohol and peer pressure.”
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“The Sachem Family has once again demonstrated its unconditional love for our children,” Sachem Central School District Superintendent James J. Nolan said. “The incredible turnout at our forum on substance abuse made it quite clear that our employees and families and community members are willing to give every ounce of their collective time and talents to be certain that our children are safe. I look forward to great things from our partnership with County Executive Bellone and his team. “We Are Sachem!”
“It was nice to see the auditorium full of concerned parents,” Legislator Monica Martinez said. “The relationship between the school and home is vital to the success of a child. I commend the Sachem School District for taking this initiative in protecting our children.”
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The program is part of a larger, multi-pronged county initiative to combat the use of heroin and opiates in Suffolk County.
Earlier this week, Suffolk County announced a new county-wide model to provide residents with an alternative to combat heroin and other opiate abuse. The multi-pronged drug rehabilitation efforts include the integration of the FDA-approved drug, extended-release naltrexone, along with substance abuse treatment.
The County Executive formed a working group led by Assistant Deputy County Executive Tim Sini to identify key areas where the FDA-approved drug can be provided when necessary, including for those who are enrolled in the Suffolk County drug court program, defendants on Suffolk County Probation, residents who have been saved by Narcan, inmates released from local jails who have an opioid addiction, and individuals who may be suffering from addiction. The County also announced steps to deal with crimes that grow out of the opioid epidemic.
In 2012 and 2013, there were more than 400 opioid related deaths in Suffolk County.
“I am very excited to see this program unfold so that we can properly inform and educate our young people on how to make smart and healthy decisions regarding drugs and alcohol,” said Legislator Bill Lindsay III. “The Sachem School District has put together a program that has the potential to be replicated across Suffolk County. I am confident that through these active discussions about the dangers of drug use and abuse with students, teachers, and parents, we will end the current drug epidemic that has plagued many Long Island families.”
Legislator Tom Muratore stated, “We must commend the leadership at the Sachem Central School District and the County Executive’s Office for confronting the epidemic drug problem.Young people are our most precious resource and our future. We must do everything in our power as parents and public servants to protect all children from drug and alcohol abuse.”
Sachem Central School District is the second-largest school district in Suffolk County and Sachem High School East is the second-largest suburban high school in New York State.
County Executive Steve Bellone addresses parents at the launch of the Suffolk County / Sachem School District peer-to-peer pilot program
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