Northport Village hosts flag raising for Opioid Awareness Month
By Sabrina Artusa
To mark International Opioid Awareness Day, Northport-East Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force held a conference on the day itself, Thursday, Aug. 31, recognizing and remembering those affected by the opioid epidemic.
Village of Northport Mayor Donna Koch, New York State Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), county Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode, task force team members, law enforcement and community members were among those gathered in attendance.
Brown has been personally affected by the epidemic, losing a family member to a heroin overdose. “We need to do more,” the state assemblyman said. “We are not doing enough.”
New York bail law doesn’t require cash bail from those accused of most nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors, so those people can be released while they await trial. Bode indicated that changes to state law are necessary for adequate enforcement and prosecution.
“Before we can ask for bail, you would have to have enough fentanyl to kill 134,000 people,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to wait for someone to die before we can take them off the street,” adding, “That is unconscionable in the face of an epidemic.”
Beyond proposed policy changes, members of the task force suggested that prevention and education is the key to saving lives. Destigmatizing addiction and discussing resources helps create an “open conversation,” program coordinator Linda Oristano explained.
The task force wants to ensure that the dialogue surrounding addiction is reformed into one that is productive and that those struggling feel comfortable asking for help.
“It starts with fostering an environment where our youth can talk openly about their struggles without the fear of judgment,” Oristano said.
It is “not a moral failing but a complex health issue,” she added.
Scott Norcott has been a member of the task force for over a decade. He joined to “facilitate change in the culture with how they deal with things.” Another member, Dawn Enright, said she joined to ensure that “there is a place to go.”
“If kids have a peer that they can talk to, maybe they don’t go down the path of addiction,” Brown added.
The task force holds events targeting Northport’s youth, such as parenting workshops. However, the task force also consists of a separate, student-led faction called 1LIFE.
Senior Amaya Nieves is the co-president of 1LIFE. Before getting involved, she hadn’t heard of a support system in the community that “focused on tackling real-life issues.” But after being a part of the club for over a year, she said that 1LIFE inspired her to “pursue helping people and teaching people to help themselves.”
Nieves and Oristano raised a purple flag on the pole outside Northport Village Hall for the first time. Oristano said the flag reminds those struggling “that recovery is not just possible, but attainable.”
Koch honored the fire department and police department for the lifesaving work they have done on the front lines of this issue.
Suffolk County is currently distributing $20 million of opioid settlement money, and is actively accepting grant applications for projects aimed at prevention, education and recovery. [See story, “Suffolk County opens application portal for second round of opioid settlement,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media.]
“We must acknowledge that the battle against addiction is not one that should be waged in silence,” Oristano said. Resources for help can be found on the task force website: www.ndatf.org/for-community-2.
