Recognizing that the Town of Brookhaven has the highest rate of opioid related deaths in Suffolk County, Legislator Sarah Anker in partnership with Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, presented the Substance Misuse Prevention Educational Forum, which took place recently at the Mount Sinai High School.
The forum included seasoned presenters who were eager to educate the community to better address the opioid epidemic. Information tables, presentations, Narcan (naloxone) training, and a question and answer segment was also provided. The Narcan training, hosted by the Suffolk County Police Department, included a free Narcan kit and fentanyl test strips.
“With the high rate of fatal opioid overdose in the Town of Brookhaven, one of the most important ways to address this issue is educating our community on addiction prevention and community engagement. This event provided important information for our residents as we continue to deal with the opioid epidemic,” said Legislator Anker.
“One of the most urgent public health challenges we face is the threat of drug addiction and overdose deaths. It was an honor to work in collaboration with Legislator Sarah Anker and CD1’s Drug Prevention Coalition to educate our youth and community members about substance abuse. I hope that together, we can work towards creating a healthier and safer environment for all,” said Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich.
“There’s no such thing as safe recreational drug use. Fentanyl is popping up in everything. You can’t trust any illegal drug to be what it is purported or labeled to be,” said Mark Murray, Esq., Chief of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Narcotics Bureau. “It’s a contributing factor to the overdose epidemic in Suffolk County. There are people who are ingesting things they didn’t bargain for.”
“Forums like these are critical in providing parents and community members information to keep the young people in their lives safe,” presenter John Venza, LCSWR, LMHC, Vice President, Outreach said.
This forum was presented in partnership with the Suffolk County Addiction Prevention and Support Advisory Panel, Chaired by Legislator Sarah Anker, and the Town of Brookhaven’s Drug Prevention Coalition, CD1, chaired by Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich. Forum presenters included: Mark Murray, Esq. Chief, Narcotics Bureau, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office; John Venza, LCSWR, LMHC, Vice President, Outreach; Michelle Schindler, CPP, Prevention Director, YMCA Family Services; Anthony Rizzuto, LMSW, CASAC, Director of Provider Relations at Seafield Center, Founder F.I.S.T. (Families in Support of Treatment) and the Suffolk County Police Department.
“Over 100,000 overdose deaths this year, due to substance use disorder, is a public emergency. Education and empowering individuals, their families and loved ones is a crucial step towards reducing those numbers. Tonight’s forum provided knowledge and resources in efforts to make informed decisions,” Anthony Rizzuto said when asked about the importance of such forums.
Presenter Michelle Schindler, CPP, Prevention Director, YMCA Family Services spoke on healing communities; “By mobilizing the entire community, communities can be transformed. Because prevention does work... Communities with an active coalition consistently show lower rates of substance use than a community without one”. Michelle then connected this type of community engagement to schools: “Coalition(s) can lift the burden from schools, so they do not have to address substance abuse issues on their own”.
Resource tables were provided by Association for Mental Health & Wellness, HUGS, Inc / The Long Island Addiction Resource Center, Sunshine Alternative Education and Prevention Center, Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Dept START Program, Family Service League/LI Prevention Resource Center, North Shore Youth Council, Seafield Center, Family & Childrens Association (THRIVE), National Guard Drug Prevention Task Force, Western Suffolk BOCES/Aspire High School, Gabriel’s Giving Tree/Families in Support of Treatment (FIST), Outreach, YMCA Family Services, Suffolk County Division of Community Mental Hygiene, and Suffolk County Division of Health Education.