Nov 21, 2009 7:24 am US/Eastern
Suffolk Co. Offers Free Drug Test Kits To Parents
With Heroin Problem Getting Out Of Control Lawmakers, School District Officials Say Time Is Now To Get Proactive
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBS) ―
-
-
Suffolk County has begun offering parents these free drug test kits to help fight the war on drugs on Long Island.
CBS
CBS 2 HD first told you about the growing drug problem involving teenagers in the suburbs. But now there's a new weapon being used in the battle. Free drug detection kits are being offered to fight what's becoming an epidemic.
Overcome with emotion, Long Island mother Terry Littler held a photo collage of her son in happier times. He is now fighting a battle with heroin, and so far heroin is winning.
"Six years it's destroyed my family, I saw my son overdose in my house. These children are dying," she said. "This drug is so strong. It has such a hold on them."
On Friday, Littler addressed a group of parents, politicians, and PTA leaders in Rocky Point who want to help teens fight the grip of overpowering addiction. The newest arsenal in that fight: free drug test kits distributed by law enforcement to home-test urine for traces of six categories of drugs. If the test is positive, parents can begin helping their children.
"Sixteen-thousand home drug kits with money we seized from drug dealers, so we're taking that money and using them against drug dealers by trying to subdue the demand for the drugs that they're peddling to our teenagers," said Suffolk Co. Sheriff Vincent DeMarco.
It's an urgent call. The plague of heroin especially is all over suburban streets, say police, and CBS 2 News has been showing you the problem. Last year a record 46 people died of heroin overdoses in Nassau County, and 59 in Suffolk. Heroin arrests on long island have doubled.
"It eats you up from the inside out the first time you try it," said heroin addict Ryan Drespel. "It takes everything from you."
Despite the rampant spread of lethal drugs, some teens are angry, saying the test kits are a violation of their privacy rights, but the larger goal is worth the intrusion, says Rocky Point PTA co-president Jenny Andersson.
"My son may not like it at some point, but that's just too bad," she told CBS 2. "I'm the parent and I need to make sure he's safe."
Janene Gentile of the North Shore Youth Council, who organized Friday's summit, believes the test kits will keep families accountable to one another as a powerful step, joining drug-sniffing dogs at some schools, along with mandatory anti-drug videos.
"It's sparking conversation. Even if kids aren't using, parents are sitting up and having a conversation over dinner," she said.
Suffolk's district attorney said the home kits will not be used to collect evidence in a criminal case. The county's sheriff said he can't keep up with demand since making the free kits available Thursday. Hundreds more have been placed on order and he is getting calls from all over the country.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
World's Most Useless Facts
Click to enlarge
NYC Public Schools Among Many To Close Wednesday 14 mins ago 
CBS 2 HD Has Tips To Keep Kids Safe In Snow 15 mins ago
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments