Youth Drug Abuse Focus of Town Hall Meeting in Mattituck

With alcohol and marijuana abuse rising among teens in Suffolk County, the North Fork Alliance will host a Town Hall meeting at on April 24 to address the issue.

North Fork Alliance's Laura Smith said that this is an issue that needs to be addressed, and the town hall meeting will encourage community members to come out and express the concerns over this problem.

The event will feature a keynote address by Kym Laube, executive director of HUGS Inc., where she will provide an update on the culture and effects substance abuse has on kids in today's society.

"Marijuana is not the same as it was 20 years ago," Smith said.

Laube will be followed by panel of local experts including Shawn Petretti, Mattituck Jr/Sr High School Principal,Juvenile Aide Officer William Brewer, Andrea Nydegger, Student Assistance Counselor/Social worker, and Jillian Ruroede, LCSW. 

Smith said the panel discussion will provide insight and potential solutions to help curb the problem. One of the most important things Smith hopes the community takes away from the evening is that no one agency can tackle teen substance abuse alone.

Parents need to learn they can say no to their teenagers, Smith said. She said more parents need to abide by laws that prohibit drinking for teens under the age of 21. She also said the North Fork schools are receptive to changing the culture at the school level as well.

According to Smith, statistics from Suffolk County show that binge drinking is an increasing problem among teens and there has been an uptick in marijuana use as well. The Suffolk County 2010-2011 Youth Development Survey revealed that 56.7 percent of students in grade 12 reported using alcohol and 26.5 percent reported using marijuana in the last 30 days.

Smith said it was critical was to recognize that not everyone who drinks or smokes marijuana will develop a substance abuse problem. She said research shows the earlier teens start drinking, the more likely they are to have substance abusers as adults. The real problem, she said, is that you just do not know who will become a chronic substance abuses. She also said the poor decisions made by teens under the influence, can lead to further problems down the road.

The data from Suffolk County does not include North Fork schools, but Smith said her group wants to send a survey to local students early next year so the organization can have concrete information.

"It's a big issue, but we have to start somewhere," Smith said.

The Town Hall Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 24, at 7 p.m. in the Mattituck/Cutchogue High School Auditorium. It is free and open to the entire community.