Prevention through Connection
April 2017
Underage Drinking & Multiple Substance Misuse
Connecting the Dots ... to Addiction
 
April is Alcohol Awareness Month which brings attention to the critical public health issue surrounding underage drinking, its impact on individuals and families, and the importance of community involvement in prevention, treatment and recovery.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NICADD) , young people, like adults, drink alcohol for many different reasons. Some may seem obvious, but understanding the feelings behind these reasons - as well as how everyday teen life comes into play - is important. Young people often  drink to check out from family problems or issues with school and grades; loneliness, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety disorder and other mental health issues can contribute; they may drink to deal with the pressures of everyday social situations, to  change their image or to fit in; to gain confidence or lose inhibitions.  If the reason is understood, proper diagnosis, counseling, and/or support can truly help the problem that drinking never does. 

This May, we will host a unique CASA Coffee featuring a Manhasset graduate's perspective on how his underage drinking and substance misuse developed a path to addiction and eventual recovery. We applaud his bravery and are encouraged by his desire to help our community understand the consequences of youth substance misuse. Manhasset Public Schools' 2017 Bach Harrison Prevention Needs Assessment Survey Results - just released - also provides a new perspective to how Manhasset youth are not just drinking but also engaging in multiple substance misuse. 


We invite all parents and residents to attend our  Sector Meeting on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in the Community Room in Manhasset Public Schools' new Central Administration Building. We will provide further overview of the 2017 Bach Harrison results and what 8th, 10th and 12th grade students self report when it comes to underage drinking and substance  misuse. We look forward to engaging community discussion on how to work together to ensure our children grow up to be healthy and the best that they can be.  



As kids get older and alcohol and drugs enter the picture, parents and also residents are faced with a unique set of challenges. We can simply sit back and hope our kids will "get through  it," or  we can take an active role in learning about alcohol and drugs - and helping our children make healthy decisions. 

Manhasset CASA Executive Board
TALK2PREVENT Underage Drinking & Substance Misuse
Our Conversations Matter

When an adolescent/teen chooses to drink alcohol they often face a variety of consequences  from hangovers to death from alcohol poisoning. It is estimated that 5,000 people under age 21 die every year from alcohol-related injuries from traffic fatalities, suicides and homicides. Underage drinking increases risky sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity. Such behavior increases the risk for unplanned pregnancy and for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Finally, alcohol can damage the developing teenage brain ( New York State Office on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services ).

Research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50% less likely to use these substances than those who don't have such conversations.  According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, when parents do talk with their child about the dangers of underage drinking, it's important for parents to: 

  • Listen before you talk: For kids, knowing that someone is really listening is most important
  • Ask open-ended questions. 
  • Be involved. 
  • Be honest and open. 
  • Be positive: talking about these issues can build bridges rather than walls and 
  • Remember, addiction is a chronic, progressive disease that can be linked to family history and genetics. If there is a family history of problems, be open about it, as one would be with any other chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer. 
For more tips about how to begin the talk with your teen about the dangers of underage drinking,


Shed the Meds
Drive Up & Drop Off!

Join neighbors and Shed the Meds on Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Shelter Rock Elementary School (27A Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset). The program is sponsored by Senator Elaine Phillips, Manhasset CASA and the Nassau County Police Department. 

Residents can drive up and drop off their old or unused medications! Please note that needles cannot be accepted.  All collected medication will be safely disposed of by officers from the Nassau County Police Department who will be supervising the program.

Safe disposal helps protect the environment and eliminates the risk of these drugs getting into the hands of small children or those who might misuse them. Improper disposal of medications, such as pouring them down the drain or flushing them down the toilet, can potentially pollute local waterways.

If you need more information about the "Shed the Meds" program, please call Senator Phillips' office at 516-746-5924.
Generation Rx Safe Medicine Practice for Life
New Prevention through Connection Television Program

As part of Manhasset CASA's  Cardinal Heath Generation Rx Safe Medicine Practices for Life Initiative, Manhasset CASA produced Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse in collaboration with Steve Chassman, Executive Director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) and Public Access Television (PATV). 

Parents and residents can tune into the 30 minute interview which discusses the progression of prescription drug misuse to heroin as well as what families and youth can do when facing issues of addiction. Click here to view our program.

CASA's Prevention through Connection Series with PATV seeks to connect parents and caregivers with important resources and tools to help their t(w)eens navigate healthy choices during adolescence. The series also airs on PATV Channels 20 (Cablevision) and 37 (Verizon FIOS) on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. 


Student-Athlete Leadership Team Info Meeting
Healthy Living Key Message for Participants

Parents and students (grades 9 and 10) are invited to the Student-Athlete Leadership Team Club Meeting on  Tuesday, A pril 25, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theater at Manhasset High School. 

The new 2017-18 Club will encourage healthy living and train role models for Manhasset students. The Club  will strengthen high school student leadership skills, increase interaction with pro-social peers and decrease attitudes favorable to drug use. Manhasset's club will join hundreds of high school athletes from over 30 Long Island school districts learning the  Athletes Helping Athletes  training curriculum at Molloy College in November, January, and March.  These student-leaders will develop skills to engage and manage sixth grade classroom discussions through "ice-breaker" exercises and story-telling to deliver valuable lessons. 

Membership to the Student-Athlete Leadership Team will be selective and based upon motivation to be mentors, exhibition of exemplary behavior on and off the playing field, and good academic standing.  Students will be required to submit a formal application and undergo a competitive interview process to be considered  for  membership .  
 
The meeting will discuss the program, selection process, membership and participatory contract.
HEALTHY LIVING FUNDRAISER
Tuesday, April 25th at 11:30 a.m. at local Manhasset Home! 

Join friends and residents for Manhasset CASA's spring fundraiser and celebrate healthy living and cooking on Tuesday, April 25th at 11:30 a.m. at Arda Hartunian's home 21 Middle Drive, Plandome.  Nancy Ferraris, Manhasset Nutritionist & Parent will demonstrate how healthy living recipes & cooking can be easy, fast & fun! 

Come and sample a wide array of healthy, easy-to-prepare snacks and meals for use any time of the day or night! Learn how small changes can impact the quality of your family's life, make healthy eating easy and fun AND increase your energy and enthusiasm for cooking again. Bring your appetite and your questions - and get ready to enjoy warm hospitality, relaxed conversation with neighbors and friends and a fun introduction to a new way of thinking about food! 

Tickets are $40.00/person .   Click here to complete our registration flyer which can be mailed with your check to Manhasset CASA, Inc., PO Box 392, Manhasset, NY 11030.  We will have fabulous raffle prizes too (4 tickets for $10; 10 tickets for $20)! 
Tickets and raffles will also be sold day of event. 

For more information, please call Arda Haratunian at (516) 627- 0235. 
CASA COFFEE
Explores Addiction & Recovery

Parents are invited to our final CASA Coffee of the 2016-17 school year on Wednesday, May 10th at 10:30 a.m. in the home of a local Manhasset parent. 

Coffee & Conversation: From Underage Drinking to Addiction will fe ature a 2009 Manhasset High School graduate who is currently in recovery from alcohol, prescription pills and heroin addiction.  

Join friends and neighbors as we strengthen parent networking to guide our teens toward making healthy choices. To register, click here.
Free Family Education Series at Seafield 
Open to all Residents 
 
Seafield Center's Family Education Series continues for residents who are impacted by addiction. The free family program provides information regarding various aspects of addiction, treatment, therapy and codependency and enabling behaviors.
 
Wednesday, April 26th, at 7:15 p.m.
Alcohol/Drug Addiction/Recovery Process and its impact on the family
Facilitated by Merrit Hartblay, MSW, CASAC

Wednesday, May 10th, at 7:15 p.m.
Family Support Group Session
Facilitated by Merrit Hartblay, MSW, CASAC

All residents are invited to attend the series held at 585 Plandome Road, Manhasset. For more information call Meagan Segal, LCSW, Clinical Director at (516) 812-9944 extension 1705. 
Manhasset Community 
Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA), Inc. 
P.O. Box 392
Manhasset, NY 11030
(516) 267-7548
  
Manhasset CASA exists as a resource to reduce the illegal, underage use of alcohol, tobacco, & other drugs among its youth, before they are in trouble, by connecting parents, schools and the community as partners in the common goal.  In 2013, CASA was honored to receive its second five year Drug Free Communities Support Grant (DFC) by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).  Our goals are to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults; and to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state, and local governments to support the efforts of our community coalition to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.