'How to Raise a Drug-free Kid'

Lynbrook’s Character Counts Committee welcomed guest speaker Joseph A. Califano, Jr., 78, to an open forum on Mar. 2 at the Marion Street Elementary School to speak about his book “How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid.” The event attracted more than 200 concerns parents, educators and residents.
“It’s really a guide for every age — kindergarten through college,” said Andrea Duncliffe who is on the Character Counts Committee, and who, along with school board member Ellen Marcus pitch the idea to have Califano as a guest speaker to the other members of the board.
“He talked about trigger points at which kids are most vulnerable,” said Duncliffe. “He is a very grandfatherly-type person.” In his speech, Califano said that not all kids will do heroin, of course — but they will drink and smoke pot — and that it’s a lack of self esteem that leads some kids into worse habits. “You have to be comfortable to tell your friends to take a hike,” he said.
Califano is the founder and chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. He has held various U.S. government positions and served from 1977 to 1979 as the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.
“ I think Mr. Califano provided some great ideas for parents to help their kids and to work on techniques to make sure your kid does not go down this road,” said Mike Hawxhurst, a co-chair of Character Counts and a trustee for the Village of Lynbrook. “I like that he presented simple ides like having dinner together as a family that helps. He was able to present an idea like that and then back it up with interviews with kids that showed that this really works.  

Hawxhurst said that learning how many kids were getting prescription drugs at home and either using them or selling them was “scary.”
“It’s a terrible problem [and] don’t think many of us aware of how bad it is out there, and how much we need to be involved with our kids on a regular basis to prevent the possibility of them going down this road.”
  Califano took questions at the end of his talk. One man who works in Lynbrook stood up and said that no one wants to think that it’s their child. He said that his daughter died of an overdose a month ago. “It came to my house,” he said.
The Character Counts Committee is currently selling Mr. Califano’s book, “How to Raise a Drug Free Kid” at the discounted price of $10, while supplies last. Contact Andrea Duncliffe at (516) 521-8855 or by e-mailing the Character Counts Committee at Lynbrookcharactercounts@gmail.com.