By ARIELLA MONTI
The slides were part of a Not My Child presentation hosted by Chief Teresa Corrigan of the Nassau County District Attorney's Narcotics and Gang Bureau.
"I thought it was a little scary," said Kathleen Graham, the mother of a sixth-grader in the middle school who accompanied her to the assembly. "I definitely thought it was informative."
More than 150 students and parents turned out for the presentation, which used a mix of statistics, pictures and videos to detail for parents the increase in heroin use among teenagers on Long Island. The presentation also featured a warning from a sobbing Doreen Ciappa to parents that their children may have a secret addiction.
Ciappa's daughter, 18-year-old Natalie Ciappa, died of a heroin overdose in June. Her death sparked legislation in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the creation of the Nassau County Heroin Task Force, which made 95 heroin- and narcotics-related arrests between Jan. 14 and Feb. 16.
"When we first noticed we were having problems in Nassau County, and we started talking to individual parents in different communities," said Corrigan, "so many of them said to us, 'Wow, that's really troubling, but you know, thankfully it's not my problem and it's not in my community and it's not my child.'"
Corrigan noted that teens who use heroin do not fit the image of the stereotypical junkie, with sunken eyes and needle marks, because these days they snort the drug, which can be bought for as little as $10 a bag.
After the slide show, Nora Ammerati spoke candidly about her experiences with a heroin-addicted son, Philip, now 23, who is serving a three-year prison sentence for his drug use. Ironically, Ammerati works as a coordinator for the Nassau County district attorney's Drug Treatment Alternatives to Prison program, or DTAP, which gives addicts the option to seek treatment in lieu of a jail sentence.
"I lost my son," Ammerati said, reading from a letter she wrote to Philip in which she asked not to be contacted until he has proved he has changed.
"I did have to put him out of the house when he refused treatment," she later told the audience.
At the end of Corrigan's presentation, she was asked a range of questions by parents and students, including how much heroin can be found in their neighborhoods. Corrigan said that heroin is found in every community, but officials do not believe there are any major dealers or an unusually large amount of the drug in the village.
One parent asked if Corrigan advocated the use of home urine tests on children. Corrigan said it was a personal choice but added, "If I think, if I suspect something is happening with them and I have a concern, then yes, as a parent, I would do it."
While middle- and high school students were invited to the assembly, Graham said that the presentation was geared more toward parents than children. "I thought maybe it would have been a good idea to have some young kids come and talk, and maybe say how it affected their life," she said.
"Maybe more parents speaking about their experiences - it really hits home," said Penny Stamboulidis, the mother of a seventh-grader at the middle school. "You see what it actually does to people."
Chief Teresa Corrigan's tips for parents
Teenagers have been known to store drugs in false-bottom cans sold at popular retailers like Spencers and Hot Topic.
Parents should keep track of and lock up their prescription drugs to prevent teenagers from stealing two or three to bring to "pill parties."
Meet and get to know your child's friends.
Create an environment in which teenagers enjoy hanging out, like a recreation room. Monitor the activities that are taking place in that room.
Trust your instincts.
Comments about this story? AMonti@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
