Abstract
There is no “magic potion” or vaccine to prevent youth from using alcohol or other drugs. Adolescent substance abuse prevention programs have been largely ineffective because the messaging is taken for granted. Efforts based on theories of growth and development patterns, and are inclusive of strategies beyond the classroom and home, have demonstrated encouraging findings particularly when members of the community are involved. This paper will explore factors behind illicit substance use among youth in Staten Island, New York and how Wagner College is playing an important part of a collective impact initiative that is starting to make a difference.
Highlights
There is no “magic potion” or vaccine to prevent youth from using alcohol or other drugs
This has been the case with the Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) project, because we have the participation of the Island anchor institutions mentioned earlier, as well as 19 substance abuse prevention stakeholders, 7 active design organizations, 6 law enforcement agencies, 8 government partners, 12 youth organizations, 5 faith based organizations and 8 nonprofits
A progress assessment of TYSA was conducted by FSG in February, 2015
Summary
Staten Island’s substance abuse epidemic is real and it is not going away. In 2014,74 borough residents died from drug overdoses, up from 64 the year before ( Wrobleski,2014).Powerful batches of high-quality heroin are flowing into New York and taking lives, as Staten Island struggles to fight this frightening epidemic. This is just one of many recently documented crime events on the Island that have been linked to illicit drug use. Along with the higher incidence in crime rates, the borough saw the second highest rate of heroin overdose deaths per 100,000 residents according to Epi Data Brief, one of the many statistical databases within the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The effect of devastating drug abuse is evidenced by the local obituaries we see every day as young people are dying of addiction It is called an epidemic and it has reached record numbers, as the overdose and death-toll rates increase each day. Many youth are in denial until their families or teachers confront the youth with their behavior, or they are hospitalized or arrested (DOHMH, 2012)
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