New York State Senate Takes on The Heroin Crisis

First Hearing on Long Island

Maureen Rossi

Earlier this month Senate Majority Coalition Co-Leaders Dean Skelos and Jeffrey Klein  announced the creation of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction.  Stakeholders on Long Island welcome the new Task Force as they have been grappling with an epidemic for a decade.  The purpose of the newly formed group is to: a) examine the rise in heroin and Opioid use and b) to come up with recommendations for treating and preventing addiction.   

CRITICAL INSURANCE BILL SITS IN ALBANY

There is a bill sitting up in Albany that would rectify a major problem that addicts deal with when they want to get sober; obstacles to treatment.  Kim Revere is president of Kings Park in the kNOw, a small non-profit organization that has been working for eight years to shine a light on and eradicate the youth heroin and opiate epidemic in Suffolk County.   “S4623 would require health insurance companies to cover drug and alcohol abuse and dependency treatment services,” she explained.  

Acording to Ms. Revere, the way insurance companies work now is insurance executives decide what aspects of treatment they will  approve.  Treatment could be a short-term detoxification program, a standard 28 day inpatient program or intensive out-patient where the addict goes several times a week a few hours a day.  “When this bill gets passed, and it will; the treatment will be provided on the terms of medical necessity as determined by a doctor or trained addiction specialist,” she explained.   She says it will take the decision making out of the hands of the wealthy executives and put it into the hands of trained medical professionals.    She said she, members of the addiction and prevention community and parents of deceased children were told by Senator John Flanagan (R, Smithtown), when they visited him in his Albany office, that he believes this bill is very important.  Senator Flanagan was part of the panel last week at Suffolk County Community College and participated in a short documentary about the epidemic with Kings Park in the kNOw five years back.

THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH 

Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds is the Director for the Long Island Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Dependency (LICADD).  He is a respected, vocal member of the movement, a resident of Smithtown and a panelist at last weeks meeting.  He is disgusted that so many Insurance companies are denying treatment.  He says he deals with it daily.   “If it were any other disease – insurance companies would not get away with this,” he said.  His comment was met with vigorous applause. 

Desperate parents have been told their son or daughter isn’t high enough for a detoxification program.  Some have been told their child is not using enough heroin to garner in-patient treatment.   Far too many addicts have been told after overdosing that they must first fail at out-patient before they can receive inpatienttreatment.  What about a heroin overdose doesn’t scream failure?  Linda Ventura of Kings Park lost her son Thomas two years ago shortly before his 22^nd birthday.  She was one of dozens of stakeholders who went up to Albany in February to meet with members of the Senate to discuss the proposed legislation.  “They need to follow through with this – the Insurance bill must pass this year, kids are dying,” she lamented.

Ventura said her family suffered because of obstacles to treatment.  She was told her son wasn’t high enough for Detox, another time that he didn’t use enough heroin for inpatient, that he needed to fail at out-patient first.  She describes his addiction as an absolute HELL.  She said when addiction took over his body and mind - her boy was gone.  “He was unrecognizable,” she shared.  Thomas like so many young Long Island heroin addicts did have a very happy childhood.  He was a great athlete; he was popular and had many hobbies and interests.   After his parents divorced and the loss of his grandparents who were very dear to him, he began to smoke pot and drink beer the summer he was fifteen.   “Don’t delude yourself, if your kid is experimenting with alcohol at 13 or 14 don’t kid yourself, it will escalate, it’s not if, it’s when,” she warned.

Part II Tomorrow - Why the heroin problem is getting worse

Update on Monday, April 21, 2014 at 11:28PM by .

Part II Maureen Rossi

IS THE HEROIN PROBLEM GETTING WORSE?

Since the I-Stop legislation became law there has been an uptick in heroin use and overdoses.  Senator Kemp Hannon is the architect of the legislation that mandates a 24/7 tracking system connecting doctors and pharmacists. Hannon has called prescription drug abuse the fastest growing drug problem in New York. The goal of I-Stop is to prevent doctor shopping and to limit access and the abuse of prescription drugs.

Reynolds and others working to fight the drug scourge on Long Island say they knew the I-Stop law would put a halting stop to doctor shopping but the temporary downside would be an uptick in heroin use due to lack of pills on the street.   Experts like Seafield’s Anthony Rizzutto and LICADD’s Reynolds say they are dealing with that uptick on a daily basis.

A critical component of the Task Force is prevention. Many on the front line say it is not possible for government to legislate or arrest our way out of this epidemic.  They say we need long-term solutions including evidence-based prevention programs in class rooms  K-12.    Will Albany mandate schools to include prevention programs in the midst of the Common Core debacle; will the state provide the funding for the mandate?    One can only hope so.   Without strong consistent prevention efforts this epidemic has the potential to go on for a very long time.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Senator Phil Boyle, is the chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction.  He was present at Suffolk County Community College for the first of a dozen hearings held around the state on April 8.  Senator Boyle and members of the NYS Senate were joined by parents, law enforcement, and experts in addiction and prevention. “The primary mission here is to save lives,” said Boyle. 

Everyone agrees that time is of the essence and that the clock is ticking for addicts and families of addicts.  It is also ticking for those on the panel as a detailed report is due in Albany by June first.   Time is an enemy to New York State residents waiting for the Insurance Bill to pass.  Most realize it will be fought by very wealthy savvy Insurance lobbyists and that it could take longer than anyone wants to wait.  

Stakeholders wonder how many more young people on Long Island will die because of obstacles to treatment?  How many innocent people will die in vehicular accidents at the hands addicts?  How many more pharmacies will be robbed?  How many more crimes will be committed?  How many more families will hear the worst news they could ever possibly hear, that their child is gone?

Tomorrow Part III

Update on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 11:33PM by .

Part III - The Speakers

by Maureen Rossi

Last week’s proposed state budget included $5 million for increased heroin prevention, treatment and recovery support services.   

Senator Hannon is well known as a strong advocate for finding solutions to the drug problem. He has called drug addiction a major public health crisis. He was credited by Moderator Jack Martins with being the architect of both the I-Stop bill and the Insurance Bill presently sitting in Albany.  That pronouncement was met with hearty applause by law-makers and all present at the hearing. Hannon is working to find ensure that treatment decisions are made by doctors.

The audience clearly understood the importance of the Insurance Bill. Panelist and addiction expert Richard Buckman said he had the opportunity to go to inpatient rehab for 28 days back in 1988.  “I know I would not be clean and sober if I did not have that opportunity,” he shared.   He also says the Insurance Bill is critical.

A young well dressed twenty-six year old Long Island woman took the podium she articulated beautifully and told the harrowing story of her life with alcohol and drugs.  Like so many young heroin addicts today, she did not look like a junkie.   Unfortunately, her story is not unique; due to her addiction she has robbed people, spent time in jail and buried many friends who shared the disease of addiction.  She is one of the lucky Long Islanders who have been down the Opioid Heroin path – today she is sober.  

Arthur and Denise Murr’s son Matt was their only child.  They spoke candidly about his addiction and his death.   “He knew what he was doing was wrong, he was ashamed and embarrassed,” said his father.   Denise Murr spoke about Matt saying that at the age of fifteen, doctors put him on Aderral for attention problems.  “It was the first drug he took and he later abused,” she added.  Matt completed only one semester of college before his addiction became too much to bear.  In the course of seven long grueling years for the Murr’s, Matt was in and out of many rehabs.  The Murr’s said they could never understand why their son became addicted to heroin.  Theirs was a very happy loving home; they were your average Long Island family.  In between soft tears, the Murr’s spoke extensively about the stigma and shame of having a child who was addicted to heroin.

Jason took the podium after the Murr’s, he told the attentive audience that he grew up with a mom who loved him more than anything.  The sober twenty-something said he identified with the type of upbringing Matt’s parents spoke about.  He played sports and said his childhood was normal.  “However, I always felt like I had a pebble in my shoe, when I got high that feeling went away and I continued to look for that feeling for years by getting drunk and high,” he added.  Jason said his best friend died of an overdose at seventeen and that was the first time he tried heroin.  “I had someone boot it (shoot) into me,” he continued.   He added that he always had that nagging feeling he was going to die with a needle in his arm.   He said he has been in homeless shelters, jails, rehabs, and psych wards.  Sadly he shared that because of the epidemic here on Long Island he has gone to over one hundred wakes in his short life.  Today Jason is sober and he is living proof that treatment works.

Tomorrow Part IV

Update on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 10:11PM by .

LONG ISLAND – A MAJOR EPICENTER

“This is the first of twelve forums holding around the state, it’s (Long Island) one of the epicenters and we need to put a stop to that,” said Senator Boyle.   Buckman shared that sadly in the thirty-four year history of his organization the largest increase has occurred recently and has been for those in the 13-17 year old category for treatment of Opioid abuse.   Users are getting younger and younger.   At present there is no end in sight for this epidemic.

How big is the pill problem overall in New York State?   “In 2010 we wrote 21 million scripts annually and we only have 19 million people,” said Senator Hannon.  At this point in time it is safe to say that most New York State residents know someone with or who has had a Opioid pill problem. 

Suffolk County Legislators John Kennedy and Tom Cilmi were also present at last week’s Senate hearing.  They are both members of the new Suffolk County Legislature’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse Task Force, which will be convening officially on May 14^th.  “What I hear and saw was phenomenal – the level of attention and will was critical and it’s welcome,” said Kennedy.   Kennedy has been dealing with the Long Island epidemic for a decade.  He has worked with families, law enforcement and community groups like Kings Park in the kNOw.  He says the help of the state is welcomed and needed.  “Hats off to Boyle and the whole team, I look forward to the report and implementation of the various treatment solutions and prevention solutions,” he added.     At present Cilmi and Kennedy are gathering families of the addicted, families of the lost and other stakeholders for the kick-off of their County Task Force.   While these panels convene and share their expertise, young Long Islanders will continue to die quietly, on their tree-lined streets in the backdrop of their well-forming school districts.    The time for a solution is now.

Commack HS Students Talk RYLA And Special Olympics With Rotarians

Commack-Kings Park Rotary President Dr. Phil Facquet with Commack HS studentsFour students from Commack HS visited the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club Tuesday afternoon. Three of the students attended Rotary’s RYLA -Rotary Youth Leadership Award program. The two-day program is designed to teach high school students skills in leadership, communication, problem solving, decision making, conflict management and resolution.

The three RYLA attendees Theresa Amoruso, Katherine Elliot And Caitlin Passaro described their experience as life changing. The RYLA program is run by young people, eleventh and twelfth graders, who participated in the program as tenth graders.  Rotarians act as chaperones during the two days, but the young people do everything. 

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to sponsor these young people.  The RYLA program allows young people to work together and to develop their leadership skills. To hear the students describe their experience at the Rotary program as life changing makes all of us in Rotary proud,” stated President Phil Facquet.

Jessica SpitzCommack HS senior Jessica Spitz was the guest speaker for the afternoon meeting. Jessica is a spokesperson for the Special Olympics. The Commack school district is hosting the Special Olympics on May 4.  This is the second year for the district.  Last year’s event was described as one of the most successful Special Olympics ever.  Debbie Virga represents the school district and acts as the liaison between the district and the Special Olympics committee. This is a labor of love for Ms. Virga who has described the event as a wonderful, positive experience. Participants vary in age from children to adults.  The events include many of the track and field events people see in olympic competitions.

Jessica Spitz is an enthusiastic participant and spokesperson for the Special Olympics. Jessica will be participating in track and shot put. She explained to Rotarians how participating in the Special Olympics helped her and allowed for new friendships, increased self esteem, and fun.Jessica will graduate in June and is looking forward to attending Suffolk County Community College and working towards earning a degree in Veterinary Technology.  

The Special Olympic Games will be held on May 4th at Commack HS.  

"Smithtown In The Year 3000" Poetry Winning Entries

“Smithtown In The Year 3000” Smithtown Matters/ Smithtown Youth Bureau’s creative writing contest-  Poetry winning entry and Honorable Mention entry.

Winning entry - Alexandria Soldo

Predicate

I hope in the far flung future

When what we love and cherish

Can be passed on to a promising generation

Growing and learning under the watchful eyes

Of the proud copper bull

Exploring as I have beside the Nissequogue River

Through forests that we must protect

As one devoted to the preservation of our wildlife

Down the long lane where once

Horse drawn carriages paraded past

That we can honor our history and look to the future

Encourage change and change for the better

As we move on down dirt trodden paths

Looking to the branches above

Reaching infinitely towards the sky

We must take the tree’s example

Never stop growing and believe one day

You will reach your goal

Honorable Mention - Michaela Oliverio

The year is 3000.

The sky is bluer, the grass is greener, The streets are much cleaner. Population has expanded, And cars that used to park, have now landed.

The brain of society has grown, Now we have all answers to the once unknown. Old restaurants and shopping centers, Have now become places only automatons can enter.

Smithtown’s become a place of hocus pocus, Because technology and magic is the main focus. People go through their day, Without a worry in the way.

Fear and anxiety is ancient history, We flourish with technology that deletes our misery. The year 3000 is something we’ve never seen before, More advancements are knocking at our door.

“Town of Smithtown in the Year 3000.”

"Smithtown In The Year 3000" Short Story Winning Entries

“Smithtown In The Year 3000” Smithtown Matters/ Smithtown Youth Bureau’s creative writing contest - Short Story Winning Entry and Honorable Mention Entry.

The Coming Times of Smithtown

By Eric David

I’ve spent my years always trying to figure out how to change the world, how to leave a mark on history, how to die on my death bed with no regrets. I’ve spent my whole life as a scientist to invent the one thing that has never been attempted before in history, many scientists talk about how it’s impossible, or that our technology isn’t advanced enough yet. But if we were to invent this device, the time machine, it could change the world and bring about new possibilities. And I want to be the one to bring that change into this world, and leave my mark on history so that I may never be forgotten, because that is my one and only fear. Not to be scared of death, or pain, or being endanger, but to be forgotten. Which is why I spent my whole life dedicated to building this machine and I assure you that all those years of my life that have been spent on researching did not go to waste because I have finally done it, I have invented the time machine. The only thing left for me to do now, is to test it.

I brought the device to an old ballet school, long deserted, a good radius outside of Smithtown, it was the best location for me to remain from being found. So I carry the time machine over inside the school and into one of the ballet dance rooms. It is surprisingly light for a time machine, it weighs about the same as a car battery and it is able to fit an averaged size human being inside it. As I set the machine down in the middle of the dance room I looked around and saw these pictures of little girls dancing on the wall. I began to ponder the thought of what could change in the future. As I glare at the pictures on the wall, I wondered if there would be a brand new type of dance, or cures for diseases, or even a more successful and advanced society. A society that that focuses on improving, it choses quality over quantity, a society in where we can all grasp each other’s hands and unite as one, our society, our town, Smithtown would be unstoppable, the possibilities are endless with this machine. And the only way I could find out was to step inside the machine, set the year to 1000 years into the future, and press the go switch. So that’s what I did.

I woke up and stepped out of the machine, quickly ran outside and my legs fell like stones. My eyes were in a daze, I was in awe, I saw flying cars, there were these buildings that seemed to levitate off the ground, and robots walking the streets, everything had changed. I got up and began to walk around; I tried to see if the Commack public library was still around, sure enough it was. I wanted to see what has changed in Smithtown throughout the years. I logged onto a computer and typed in the search engine “Changes in Smithtown”. I looked at the results and there were tears running down my face, my town that I was born and raised in, was responsible for these incredible achievements like “research center in Smithtown found cure for tumors”, “Smithtown criminal activity decreased by 80%”, “Mayor increases school education by introducing new curriculums!” As I read these news articles that seemed to go on endlessly. But there’s something I expected to be invented by this time period but doesn’t seem to have been created yet, a time machine. That’s when I then realized that I left my device at the ballet school, so I quickly returned to it to ensure that it was still there. It was, and I stared at my creation and realized that it is the only one of its kind. And it seems that the world is finally ready for it, my creation, my mark on history will be remembered throughout the ages. But not just mine; my home, Smithtown will also be remembered.

Honorable Mention - Morgan Schare

Smithtown in the Year 3000 My feet slam down on the pavement of the cracked sidewalk carrying me farther and farther away from my home, away form my old life. Sirens are sounding all around me and I hear gunshots in the distance. Goosebumps crawl up my skin and my teeth are chattering from the cold. Wrapping my arms around myself I make my way to the edge of town and to the electric gate. The gate is much taller than me; it stretches ten feet high and it surrounds Smithtown on all sides. The government says that the gate is there to protect us from the outside world, but my parents thought otherwise and now they’ve been punished for their thoughts. I shudder as the memory of my parents’ lifeless bodies enter my mind.

My father said that it wasn’t always this way. He used to tell me stories of communities just like Smithtown; people would leave and enter other towns as they pleased. In these communities people actually had a say in the government and they had freedom. Well at least that was how it was before the eighth World War struck our country. This war was like a plague. People began to turn on their families in the middle of the night. The war has been going on for a little over 100 years now; I don’t think it will ever end. I finally reach the edge of the gate and I pick up a stick next to my ratty sneaker and toss it at the gate to check if the electricity is on. The stick bounces back off of the gate and I sigh with relief.

I bend down and grab the edge of the gate and pull it upwards creating a small enough hole for me to slide under it and out into the world beyond. As soon as I’m on the other side of the gate I run as fast as I can towards the woods. I know that as soon as the sun rises and the government realizes that I’m gone, they’ll come looking for me and everyone that I’ve left behind will be in danger.

Jet, Kiza, and Leigh, their lives are now in jeopardy because I have escaped. But they know this because their families are also a part of the Beginning, the beginning of a revolution in Smithtown. My breath is labored and my legs are aching by the time I reach a rundown shack at the edge of the woods. All of the windows are broken and a thick coating of moss is hugging the outside walls. I carefully make my way up the raggedy, old steps and into what would now be my safe house. A layer of dust coats the scratched floors and moldy sheets cover what is left of the furniture. This house must not have fit the qualifications of the homes inside the gate.

My eyes travel around the room. The room seems sad, yet full of life at the same time; many memories were made here. The Beginning has one major project to complete. They want to find out as much information as they can about what life was like in Smithtown before the war. Our government did everything in its power to keep us shielded from the past; they say it’s for our own safety. If you ask me or any other member of the Beginning, they’ll say that our government is hiding things from us and it’s our duty to uncover the truth. I strongly believe that this house holds secrets of the past and I am going to tear it apart from top to bottom to find answers. I walk to the back of the house and enter a room off the kitchen.

As soon as I open the door a fouls smell almost knocks me off my feet. My hand holds my nose as the smell registers in my brain: dead bodies. Sure enough there is a pile in the middle of the room with a bloody sheet hiding what horrid thing lay beneath it. A pale, rotting hand sticks out from under the sheet and I shudder. I run back to the front of the house to gather my thoughts. I should’ve expected this, as there were consequences for the people whose homes were not chosen to be included inside of the Smithtown Gate.

I never realized that those consequences included murdering innocent people. Anger and determination pound through my veins. I turn towards the door nearest me and find it to be completely empty, but it doesn’t fool me. These old houses had many different secret openings in walls and floors, which were used to store artifacts that the government tried to collect way before the gate was put up. The government wanted these artifacts so we would not be able to look back on the past; they burned everything they collected. Paintings, poems, textbooks, anything they thought would provoke a memory was turned to ash. I walk to the center of the room and drop to my knees. I feel around the floor for any loose floorboards that could be lifted; there are none.

I then make my way to one of the walls and knock on it to see if it is hollow. I do this to each wall until I finally hear a hollow sound. The fourth wall is definitely hollow and my curiosity soars. In order to break through the wall I need a sharp object so I make my way back to the front of the house in search of a tool. I open what looks to be a closet and I am in luck. Inside the closet is a crowbar, probably put there by the family in case they were ever robbed of the rest of their lives. I shake off these feelings and snatch the crowbar up from the ground. I drag it into the room I was in before and begin to smash it at the hollow wall. I create a large enough hole to stick my arm through and run it across the floor on the other side of the wall searching for something. I am not quite sure what that something is just yet. I am about to give up when my hand hits something hard. My heart stops. Then speeds up like a racecar. I pull the object out and stared at it in disbelief. It is a tiny box with pictures of different works of art scattered across the front. I have never seen anything like it before. I open the box carefully and gasp. What rested inside the box was going to change everything. My name is Enno Amorette and I am a part of the Revolution.

St. Thomas of Canterbury Heralds Easter by Performing Sacred Musical "Witness"

ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY HERALDS EASTER BY PERFORMING SACRED MUSICAL “WITNESS”

By Jeb Ladouceur

Photo by Debbie Lange Fifer (click on photo to enlarge)

On Palm Sunday, April 13, Smithtown’s St. Thomas of Canterbury Choir, under the direction of Organist/Choirmaster William Morris, performed the internationally famed Sacred Musical, “Witness,” for parishioners and guests.

Composed and arranged by the acclaimed Lloyd Larson, “Witness” is a skillful blend of original and traditional music that forms a scripture-based narrative. The music thus provides an especially dramatic experience for modern Christian believers. Indeed, Sunday’s cantata included seven different choral offerings and congregational songs appropriate to the Lenten Season.

The sixty-year-old Larson is recognized as a particularly active and creative force by major publishing companies that specialize in church music. Among Lloyd Larson’s one thousand published works are choral anthems, Christmas and Easter compositions, keyboard collections, and instrumentals for both solo and ensemble presentation. The widely recognized music scholar has earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from major universities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. Accordingly, he is in considerable demand as a teaching professional and lecturer throughout North America.

Members of the St. Thomas choir, led by sopranos and frequent soloists Jane Hubbard and Nancy Darman, were quick to express their delight in performing the Larson version of “Witness” which was sung in the acoustically rich church itself. Their enthusiasm was echoed by basses Ben Mastrocola, David Hubbard, and Vincent Reynolds, as well as soprano Lillian Coulton.

Intimately familiar with church music, both choral and organ, conducting organist Morris flawlessly led the choir, along with the congregation, to a professional instrumental accompaniment track. Diane Dunkhase and oboist Virginia Cardiello (sopranos) agreed with bass Diane Strobodzan and altos Valerie Billi and Alexandra Todaro, that the half-hour performance was a more-than-satisfying experience.

Said alto Angie Morris, “This is such a powerful piece.” And Sheila Yarosh, also an alto, agreed stating, “It’s just wonderful to be a part of it.” Bass Conrad Cardiello added, “The lyrical accounts of believers, deniers, and skeptics, all combined in one concise composition, make ‘Witness’ something truly special.“

Husband and wife narrators Herb and Margo Stead were excellent in their dramatic spoken roles and apparently St. Thomas’s Rector, The Very Reverend Lawrence R. DeLion, spoke for the large audience on Palm Sunday when he expressed agreement that all the choir members, as well as the speakers, were superb. He congratulated each participant by name.