Huntington – Supervisor Chad A.
Lupinacci and the Huntington Drug and Alcohol Counseling Center unveiled a drug
prevention display on the corner of Park Avenue and Main Street to highlight
national Red Ribbon Week, running from October 23 through October 31.
“Our Youth Bureau’s Huntington Drug
and Alcohol Counseling Center Prevention Specialists do a great job with their
outreach and during Red Ribbon Week they will be visiting our local middle
schools to spread the drug prevention message,” said Supervisor Chad A.
Lupinacci.
Red Ribbon Week is a national
alcohol, drug, and tobacco awareness and prevention campaign, started in the
1980s, during which prevention services organizations around the country
conduct outreach to youth in schools and the community each year. This year,
the theme is: “Send a Message, Stay Drug-free.”
The Huntington Drug and Alcohol
Counseling Center Prevention Specialists Team participates by providing school
cafeteria-themed events where students sign pledges on banners, take pictures
with props in a photo booth, and receive informational giveaways. Classroom
presentations are also implemented, focusing on peer pressure refusal skills
and in-depth consequences of drug use and abuse.
Red Ribbon Week activities are in
progress and will be offered through November 1 at Northport Middle School,
Silas Wood 6th Grade Center, East Northport Middle School, Stimson Middle
School, and Elwood Middle School.
The Huntington Drug and Alcohol
Prevention Counseling Center Services Team, which operates as a subdivision of
the Town of Huntington Youth Bureau, an extension of the Supervisor’s office,
provides research-based, data-driven programs and strategies to reduce or
prevent alcohol and other drug abuse in individuals, families and communities.
Part of their initiative is to increase access to safe, drug-free environments
as these serve as protective factors against youth high-risk behaviors. For
more information on the Counseling Center, please contact (631) 271-3591.
In the photo (l-r): Natasha Vaughn,
Prevention Specialist; Barry Zaks, Drug and Alcohol Project Director;
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Lisa R. Lessa, Lead Prevention Specialist.
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