Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2015
Source: Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2015 Newsday Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Author: Valerie Bauman

STUDENTS SCHOOLED ON DANGERS OF DRUG USE

Long Island students schooled on dangers of drug use as part of
community search for cultural change

More than 50 students from eight Long Island schools gathered at
Northport High last week for what community members hope will be a
cultural change in how kids think and talk about drugs.

"It's going to take a long time," said Darryl St. George, a history
teacher and adviser for Northport's chapter of Students Against
Destructive Decisions. "It's going to take commitment, and it's going
to be a gradual change."

St. George said this latest effort is focused on students taking the
lead.

He charged students from Harborfields, Kings Park, Elwood, St.
Anthony's, Commack, Brentwood and Half Hollow Hills West on Wednesday
with continuing the conversation at their respective schools.

"Everyone knows this isn't something that's just going to change"
quickly, said Devon Narine-Singh, an 18-year-old senior at Northport
who attended. "It's something that you need to put work into. To me,
these events are key."

One speaker likened it to the decades-long campaign against
tobacco.

"Smoking used to be a cool thing," said Anthony Rizzuto, executive
director of Wantagh-based Families in Support of Treatment. "Cigarette
smoking is no longer cool. There has been a cultural shift from
something that made you look like you were 'all that,' to 'ew.' The
goal is to be able to make it not cool to be the one that's using."

St. George, a Northport graduate, shared his story about the loss of
his brother Corey, a former Northport student who died of a heroin
overdose at age 21.

"I think it's important for me to open up in front of the kids," the
32-year-old said Thursday. "I think they need to hear that this is a
tragically complex problem, where you're seeing more examples that it
is a lethal problem."

St. George said he wishes he could have talked to his brother about
addiction.

"It's important for everyone, even people who haven't been directly
affected by this, to . . . really look at the people in their lives
and ask themselves if this is affecting them in some way," he said.
"Because I didn't. And when I found out my brother was doing heroin, I
was floored."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt