Mark your calendars

The Rockville Centre Youth Council is hosting a presentation and discussion with Phoenix House staff and teen clients about substance abuse among teens on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Rockville Centre Public Library, 221 N. Village Ave.

Parents and teens are invited to the presentation, which will cover current trends of alcohol/drug use among teens; classification of illegal drugs and prescription/over the counter drugs; health risks, including HIV infection; peer pressure and resistance skills; alternatives to alcohol/drug use; the impact of alcohol/drug use on family and friends; academic, legal and health consequences; goal-setting and how to seek help/treatment for alcohol or drug use.

“With rising drug abuse and growing dependence on heroin, prescription medications, marijuana and other drugs," said Beth Hammerman, chairwoman of the RVC Youth Council, "many young students on Long Island, including Rockville Centre, are struggling with their own drug addition. The recent run of articles on teen substance abuse in our own backyard can't be overlooked. As a community and as a Youth Council comprised of youth and adults, we are forced to address this problem head on.”

“It is very important for our community to be exposed to the dangers of drug abuse,”said Mike Caffrey, the Youth Council’s vice chairman. “I feel that we all want to brush the problem under the carpet, a ‘can't happen to me attitude’ is part of our being, Drug addicts don’t look any different than any one of our children. I hope our community will take advantage of our co-sponsored event with Phoenix House.”

Phoenix House is one of the nation’s leading providers of alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention services, operating over 150 programs in 10 states. They care for more than 7,000 individuals through residential drug treatment for adults; residential Phoenix Academies combining long-term drug treatment and schooling for teens; outpatient care; after school; and day programs.