Parent Center, schools take on heroin abuse

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Ciappa, an outgoing honors student with an effervescent smile, did not fit the all-too-common image of the heroin junkie, disheveled and destitute, hustling for enough coin to buy her next hit. She was like any other suburban kid at any other local high school.
Ciappa, however, died after a night of wild partying last June 23, as strung out on heroin as any other addict. Her death led to passage of Natalie's Law, which requires police to issue reports to the schools of all heroin arrests in the area. The idea behind the measure is to provide educators with the information they need to adequately warn teens that heroin is a threat in their community.
Heroin has quickly surpassed crystal meth as the drug of choice among young suburbanites, said Wendy Tepfer, executive director of the Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center. For one, it's readily available. Two, it's cheap -- $7 a bag. Three, dealers have refined the purity of the drug so that it no longer has to be injected, but can be smoked or snorted, so teens are no longer fearful of contracting HIV/AIDS through needle use.
Tepfer said that Bellmore-Merrick has yet to see a surge in heroin use, but the epidemic is growing in all corners of the county. So, the Parent Center, in conjunction with the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, will host a forum, "Not My Child: The New Heroin Threat to Our Youth," on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Calhoun High School. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice and Assistant District Attorney Teresa Corrigan are scheduled to appear at the event.
The seminar will answer:
¥ What is heroin?
¥ What does it look like?
¥ How is it abused?
¥ Who uses it?
¥ What are the risks?
To register, call the Parent Center at (516) 771-9346.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.