DA Rice Speaks in Syosset on Dangers of Heroin Usage Among Young People

Heroin addiction is a growing epidemic in Nassau County. So much so that District Attorney Kathleen Rice visited a Syosset middle school on Tuesday to speak about the spreading dangers.

“Knowing the signs of drug use is so important because when it comes to addiction – especially heroin and other opiate addiction – time is of the essence,” Rice said at HB Thompson Middle School. 

“The longer we wait, the harder it is to tell a child about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse,” she added.

Rice delivered these comments at a “Not My Child” presentation, which she created to address the epidemic of heroin addiction and its devastating impact on families and neighborhoods.

The program teaches parents about how to look for signs of drug use, and how abuse of heroin and other opiates isn’t just about shooting up with needles – addiction to opiates in pill form is a growing problem among young people in our communities. The presentation will also discuss trends DA Rice’s office is seeing in drug use among young adults in our area.

Started in September 2008, Not My Child is designed to help parents and educators spot heroin addiction in its early stages, and gives examples about how they can create partnerships to tackle this deadly disease.