By ANGELA MARSHALL
With little travel needed to obtain the goods, people, including youths, have easy access to any number of drugs, according to Art Rosenthal, director of Confide. And, he said, many are taking advantage.
Confide is a not-for-profit drug and alcohol abuse agency. After taking the reins in July, Rosenthal began assessing the community and its potential for abuse problems. And his conclusion is that, while it is no worse than in neighboring communities, Rockville Centre has a serious drug problem.
Such a concern was supported by a Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education survey given to Rockville Centre students last year.
"I think that this community has an awful lot of denial about" the drug problem, Rosenthal said.
The PRIDE survey, which showed that a high number of students are experimenting with cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs, will be the topic of the Rockville Centre Drug and Alcohol Task Force's community forum on Thursday, Jan. 25. And the task force is trying to convince residents that this is information they need to hear.
"I hope we have some real shake-up results from this meeting," Rosenthal said.
The survey among other things shows that 73 percent of 12th graders said they drank beer within the last year and that 17 percent of 12th graders have admitted to using hallucinogens. Almost 10 percent of all fifth graders surveyed said they had tried beer.
One result that has raised questions about the validity of the survey is that it also showed that 2.3 percent of fourth graders carry a gun.
And while Rosenthal agrees that the results of the study could be debatable, he knows from experience that there is at least a glimmer of truth to it.
He said the center gets teen after teen telling similar stories of groups hanging out under the overpass near Hempstead Lake Park drinking and doing drugs. The teens also talk of parties they hold at home when their parents are away. They say their parents have no idea.
And they probably don't, Rosenthal said. "It's easy to not see a lot of things you don't want to see. It's not every kid but it's enough."
In order for a parent to see a problem, they have to be paying attention, Rosenthal said. They should be on the lookout for any changes in behavior, grades or friends. "Any deviation in the norm could require more than a cursory look."
What parents shouldn't do is just wait for things to go back to normal. "When there is doubt, call the professionals. We're willing to help."
Fellow task-force member Pat Lagudi also has stories to tell. Lagudi owns the 7-Eleven on Merrick Road and has confiscated numerous fake IDs from kids trying to buy alcohol.
He said he took a packet of the cards to a PTA meeting and that many of the parents didn't want to look. He wonders if they were worried they might find a picture of their own child.
In addition to coverage of the study, the task force meeting will feature several guest speakers with knowledge of the drug and alcohol problems in Rockville Centre. Naomi Bisk, South Side High School social worker, and Police Youth Officer Mike Norwood are among scheduled speakers.
In addition to taking a realistic look at the problem, Rosenthal said, they will be brainstorming to find ways to combat it.
