With the Jewish community becoming more responsive to the growing drug epidemic that has taken all too many young lives in recent months, the need to come to terms with this insidious trend has become more important than ever. In an effort to provide greater awareness and understanding of drug abuse, a group of five organizations have joined forces for an evening that promises to take concrete steps to help those dealing with addiction and their loved ones, in the hopes of avoiding future tragedies.
The event, taking place on Wednesday, December 14th at the Woodmere Fire House at 7 PM, is a joint effort of Amudim, Project Extreme, The Living Room and the Woodmere Volunteer Fire Department, sponsored by the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. In addition to discussing drug abuse, the evening will also feature a training session in the use of Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of heroin overdoses, as well as some other types of painkillers, when administered within the prescribed time frame.
“The overdose rate has been plaguing our community for several years and we need to combat this in all ways possible,” noted Rabbi Zvi Gluck, director of Amudim. “In addition to raising awareness, we need to teach people that there is help available and that there are resources and services out there that can hopefully save lives.”
Narcan, an FDA approved nasal spray from of naloxone, was approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo several months ago for over the counter sales, making the lifesaving medication available to all New York State residents. While Narcan is available at many major pharmacies, it is also available free of charge at numerous registered opioid overdose prevention programs throughout the state. Many of these facilities offer training so that both medical professionals and non-medical persons can safely administer the drug and prevent an overdose from becoming fatal.
“We want people to know that there is help available in the case of overdoses,” said Gluck. “Dozens of lives that we know have been saved by civilian use of Narcan, making it crucial to train those who come into contact with those dealing with a drug addiction in the use of this lifesaving medication.”
Simcha Leibowitz, clinical director of Project Extreme, noted the importance of bringing the issue of drug abuse and its treatment into the public forum.
“Having worked with this population for so many years and having lost some of our finest clients and campers to drug overdoses, we see that there is a vital need for awareness of these types of issues and to be equipped to take preventive steps to prevent further losses.”
While some have argued that making Narcan readily available enables drug users, Menachem Poznanski, clinical director of The Living Room, wholeheartedly disagrees.
“It is essentially the same thing a using a defibrillator for someone in cardiac arrest,” noted Poznanski. “Sometimes you need medical intervention. At the same time, it is important to educate people about what addiction is so that they can engage those in their lives who are struggling from a place of compassion and a place of education, so that they never get to the point where Narcan is necessary.”
Having lost too many friend to addiction over the past year, Gavi Liebowitz was heavily involved in organizing the event.
“I think that this is the first step in putting a stop to this terrible loss of life,” said Liebowitz. “I fully believe that one of the most important things we can do is to educate people about the signs of drug addiction, from how to help those in crisis to using Narcan, which can literally and physically, save lives.”
Among the featured speakers of the evening will be Mrs. Rebecca Glassman, who lost her 28 year old son Ari to a heroin overdose seven months ago.
“We have to make people aware,” said Mrs. Glassman. “If we sweep this under the rug and pretend that nothing is going on then we will never be able to fix this problem. People need to know that this exists in the Jewish community. We don’t need to lose any more children than we already have.”
For more information email [email protected] or call or text Gavi Liebowitz at 213-280-0525.
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4 Responses
This is a practical and appropriate response, but if we are truly serious about fighting and trying to eliminate this deadly plague, we must go after the drug dealers in our midst with relentless fury. There are Jewish kids selling this poison to our children. Root them out and put them in prison! No rachmanus! They’re in it just for profit and they have no rachmanus for our children.
Narcan? A drug for the drug? Thats the response?
How about going into the schools like they do in some communities and with those in Flatbush Yeshiva. Work with the kids. Love them. Explain them. Scare them teach them.
this event should be for police and fire men. not for our beautiful neshamos. What in earth will we do to make events.
hashem yishmar.
Yossi W,
In my humble opinion, you are looking at this from a wrong perspective. The goal is for something like this (drugs) to never be an issue. Unfortunately it is. With that being said, there is no wrong action to take when it comes to addressing the epidemic in the community. Whether that means addressing it in the schools to help prevent it (prevention will be discussed at this event) or providing a training that will help save lives ( I am familiar with a situation that a beautiful jewish soul was saved due to the mother, not emt, having narcan. If it wasn’t for the mother, the boy would have been dead by the time the ambulance arrived. Hopefully from this event, people will recognize the issue and yeshiva’s would invite organizations to speak in their schools. If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. All the best!
YossiW- Im sorry you feel that way about us acknowledging the growing epidemic in our community. These beautiful neshamos you speak about are the ones that we are trying to help. Police and Firemen etc. are usually not the ones at the scene when needed. Perhaps no one in your family is afflicted with addiction but statistics, ALL statistics say that 1 in 10 are afflicted with some type of addiction be it substance abuse, alcoholism, internet addiction, etc. We are simply trying to address the epidemic head on and help the community! Educate the community with awareness and prevention. These neshamos, ALL of them, deserve a chance at recovery and life. I believe that is what this event is about. Awareness, Education, Prevention. I can assure you, everyone involved in this parsha, would do anything not to have to make an event like this. Reality dictates otherwise.