Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, experts said
“Think to yourself, what can we do to prevent teen drug and alcohol abuse in Cornwall?”
That was the question of Mid Hudson Prevention Resource Center (MHPRC) coordinator Jen Ocasio, speaking to a group of about 10 people at the Cornwall Public Library on a recent Monday evening. There were several parents, one teen, Cornwall United Methodist Church Pastor Kevin Allen (also a part-time employee with Orange County’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council – ADAC), and several Cornwall Central School District administrators.
The event was co-sponsored by the library, the school district, ADAC (which services Orange County) and MHPRC (which serves seven counties – Dutchess, Orange, Queens, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester), and called a “community conversation”.
It was a hands-on presentation by Ocasio, who had plenty of ‘show and tell’ items to go along with her facts and figures.
The answer to her question above came at the end of the session.
“We can ask for firmer laws; we can ask that things like vape devices be taken off the shelves at local stores; we can implement programs in our schools; as parents we can teach our kids better coping skills; and we can make our spaces safe spaces,” she said.
But, while the answer sounds pretty straight forward, Ocasio acknowledged that ridding a community of drug and alcohol abuse is not that easy.
“Our goal tonight is to provide you with up to date information and some tools to help prevent your teen from ‘the big three’ — alcohol abuse, tobacco use and THC/cannabis.
She spoke about how every day the use of drugs and alcohol have become.
For instance, binge drinking is a problem for not only teens but adults. She cited a study that looked at the way teens drink and said things like the canned hard lemonades or seltzers — “craft drinks” — “are so very appealing to teens.
“I had one not too long ago,” Ocasio said. “You would never know there is alcohol in it, until you’re a couple of cans in.”
While most parents know that their children shouldn’t have access to those alcoholic drinks, she wondered if parents knew of the other ways that teens ingest alcohol — via drops into their eyes, via tampons, and via gummy bears soaked in alcohol overnight.
Ocasio minced no words as she shared how important it is for parents — and teens — to know about things like calling 911 and using the “recovery position”.
“Kids need to know that they may have to save their friends’ lives,” she said, as she explained that alcohol poisoning can lead to both blackouts and passing out.
“Do you know the difference?” she asked. “People who have an alcohol disorder can do things like make this presentation while blacked out — they can be conscious and functioning, but they’ll have no memory of it. Passed out is when they’re on the floor, unconscious with labored breathing.”
Ocasio also spoke about the uptick in the use of mixing both over-the-counter and prescription drugs with soda and/or alcohol, speaking about ‘Purple Drank’ – made popular in the hip hop culture specifically with songs, and even apparel.
“Pay attention to the bottles of medicine you have in your homes,” she advised. “We all have them.”
“Kids need to know that they may have to save their friends’ lives.”
Jen Ocasio
Ocasio spent a lot of time talking about the dangers of electronic nicotine, saying that the substances in the devices are “incredibly harmful” for youngsters.
“The effects of vaping include brain damage, lung infection and damage, stiff and narrow arteries and DNA damage. Nicotine addiction is real and it is rampant among our teens,” she said. “The goal is for them not to start using it. It is so easy to get addicted.”
However, Ocasio indicated that schools are reporting difficulty in keeping up with the number of students who are. She showed a variety of vaping devices, including bags full that local school districts have confiscated and turned over to ADAC for teaching tools.
Cannabis is also a growing concern for drug and alcohol educators. Ocasio noted that while New York State legalized it for adult use, it is still against the law for underage use. She said “this is where we’re going to see things happen in the next few years,” and spoke about how today’s cannabis is considerably stronger than it was twenty or more years ago.
Ocasio showed the different forms cannabis comes in, including teen-popular edibles. The fact that it takes longer to feel any effect from an edible means that people are ingesting more cannabis than they think they are as they impatiently wait for it to work.
She closed her presentation by encouraging everyone in the room to learn to use and to carry Narcan, and explained Orange County’s Social Host law to all in attendance.
“Even in your home, alcohol use by underage people is not safe,” she said.
There are resources for families at www.adacinfo.com, including hotline numbers and free programs for teens and families.
