Though Massapequa can seem like an idyllic and isolated community, social ills still slip into the bubble. Illegal drug activity has become one of the most prominent issues facing not only Long Island, but also Massapequa, prompting concern and confusion among residents.
Ms. Jamie Bogenschutz is the executive director of the YES Community Counseling Center in Massapequa. YES provides a wide range of social services to the community, offering counseling for atrisk teens, victims of domestic abuse, and people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and dependency.
“[Drugs have] plagued this community for decades, but more people are dying and overdosing because of the prevalence of lethal drugs on the streets,” Bogenschutz said.
No drug has taken such an immense toll on Long Islanders as heroin has. The drug is especially dangerous considering it is widely available and has a high potential for addiction.
Much of the recent wave of heroin comes from New York City; dealers use the Long Island Expressway to access communities in Nassau and Suffolk, leading officials to dub the expressway the “Heroin Highway.”
Nassau County police records indicate that there were 74 heroin arrests in Massapequa in 2014 alone. These statistics also include East Massapequa, Massapequa Park, and North Massapequa.
Bogenschutz attributes the recent rise in drug abuse to overprescription in the medical profession.
“It doesn’t take much to walk into any kind of medical practice and get a prescription,” Bogenschutz said. “Hydrocodones, oxycodones, medicines related to ADHD, Vicodin; there’s so much on the market, and it’s very profitable.”
Mr. Michael Draper, a health teacher at Massapequa High School, considers another source that can be easily overlooked: alcohol.
“The biggest issue in Massapequa is the acceptance of underage drinking, which then leads to other, more serious issues,” Mr. Draper said.
So what exactly explains the appeal of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy? Experts such as researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have pointed to the prevalence of drug use in today’s pop culture.
“Popular culture has significant potential to influence drug prevention efforts,” ANU researchers said in a 2005 paper. “Popular culture represents and can create the norms and cultural milieu that can either encourage or discourage drug use.”
Genres such as electronic dance music, or EDM, frequently feature references to “highs,” and use of designer drugs has been associated with rave parties since the 1990s.
“Now that EDM is more of a mainstream genre, it’s reached younger age groups,” EDM Chicago writer Staley Sharples wrote in a 2013 article about MDMA, “which means that the drugs are also reaching those groups.”
However, others are skeptical that the relationship between popular music and drug use is causative; rather, the music is a feature of established drug subcultures.
“I think that people who do drugs such as ecstasy choose to listen to EDM and other music like that,” MHS junior Erin Hofmann said. “It’s [not] the music that makes them want to do drugs, it’s vice versa.”
Beyond this, there are other significant factors that can lead young people to drugs.
“People can turn to drugs when they struggle with the stressors of life and pain management, whether it be emotional or physical like after surgery or an accident,” Bogenschutz said. “When kids as young as 12 and 13 use them, it affects how their brains develop and their ability to cope with stress.”
Despite the addictive nature of drugs and alcohol and social pressure and glorification of them from a variety of sources, YES believes that education and discussion can significantly help curtail the dangerous use of these substances.
“The more people who understand, the more kids who know what drugs are, the more likely we are to see improvements,” Bogenschutz said. “It’s important that young people and their parents discuss about this, and it’s never too early to talk with kids about all kinds of drugs.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse issues, you can call YES at 799-3203. All calls are completely confidential.