SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

“Bullet Points” is our format for Community Board 15 meeting coverage, providing takeaways we think are important. Information in Bullet Points is meant only to be a quick summary, and some issues may be more deeply explored in future articles.

Neighbors Demand Board Rescind Support For Drug Counseling Center: Residents of East 17th Street near Kings Highway rallied at last night’s Community Board 15 meeting, demanding the Board rescind a letter of support for a proposed drug treatment facility at 1670 East 17th Street.

Led by Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association President Ed Jaworski, a group of residents took to the podium, claiming that the Board failed to inform the community that the issue would be discussed and voted on in December.

“The City Charter and the Community Board bylaws say that the Community Board should serve the community, should communicate within the community, should act as a liaison agency, should review services, should develop plans for the community. None of this was done regarding the drug center being located on East 17th Street,” Jaworski said. “What took place at the November meeting was a shortcut. It was cutting the community’s input.”

The center, One World Counseling, received a letter of support from Community Board 15 in November with a 31-4 vote. Dmitri Oster, a rep for One World, told the Board then that they intended to target immigrants in the Sheepshead Bay area who have turned to drugs to cope with cultural integration. They would offer only counseling and would not distribute medication.

Keep reading about this story, and summaries of other actions from last night’s Community Board 15 meeting.

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, warned today that Governor Cuomo’s proposal to add ‘Quick Draw’ to 780 new locations statewide and lower the minimum age to 18 “will spell big trouble” without an increase in prevention and treatment programs for compulsive gambling.

“They don’t call it ‘video crack’ for nothing,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said of the fast-paced and highly addictive game. “The extra $25 million the state stands to gain from putting Quick Draw in convenience stores will mean a lot less if you end up with a whole new crop of addicts, especially 18- or 19-year-olds, who can’t extricate themselves from the bright lights and instant gratification of the machines.”

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has been vocal about the state’s responsibility to address the “dark side” of gambling amid the Governor’s push to expand the industry’s visibility upstate with new gaming venues. In December 2012, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz presided over a public hearing that examined programs and services for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling and the potential impact of increased gambling on communities.

There are already an estimated one million New Yorkers who have been identified as problem gamblers, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. Data compiled by the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo shows that problem gambling increases in frequency during the teen years and continues to rise, reaching its highest levels in the 20s and 30s. To Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, this is precisely the audience that will find Quick Draw machines so tempting.

“This isn’t Russian Roulette. If we’re going to increase gambling opportunities, we have to do it responsibly and with a commitment to address the potential dangers,” he said.

Community Board 15 voted in favor of permitting one drug rehabilitation center in the neighborhood, but voted down another, saying that the owners’ attitudes made all the difference.

At the November 27 meeting, the Board gave the nod to One World Counseling, a newly-formed entity proposing to develop a drug and alcohol abuse treatment center at 1670 East 17th Street, just off Kings Highway. The Board’s 31-4 vote came just minutes after nixing plans of an existing center, First Steps to Recovery at 2990 Brighton 12th Street, to move to 2634 East 21st Street, with a no vote of 34-1.

During the hearing for First Steps, representatives for the outpatient addiction treatment clinic explained that they served “elderly” Eastern European patients who have turned to drugs or alcohol to cope with the struggles of integration. The clinic dispenses medications and has been operating in Brighton Beach since 2002. They were seeking to move to the 2634 East 21st Street location because their current space is too small.

Continue Reading »

Source: e-MagineArt.com/Flickr

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise, and, for the youth, is often their gateway to harder drugs.

After marijuana, prescription drugs and over the counter medication are the most commonly abused drugs among youth, according the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and approximately one in nine people aged 12 to 25 abused prescription drugs in the past year.

It’s been rearing its ugly head locally, too. Our former head of the 61st Precinct, Georgios Mastrokostas, warned that prescription drug abuse has been on the rise in the area since 2009, and that addiction has not only led to harder drugs, but also has fueled the crime spikes in thefts, burglaries, car break-ins and other property-related crimes. Those claims have already been repeated by his successor, Captain John Chell.

And it’s not just the top brass saying it. When we were on scene at yesterday’s drug bust, one of the under-covers was telling us that most of the suspects they arrest for drugs began their addictions with prescription medications they found in their parents’ medical cabinets.

Don’t give your kids the opportunity to make a bad choice. Get rid of your unused and expired medications, with the help of the NYPD.

The NYPD Community Affairs Bureau has announced that local precincts will be participating this Saturday, September 29, in the 5th Annual National Prescription Pill Take Back Day.

You can drop off unused medication at various locations and 22 police precincts throughout the city, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..

The 61st Precinct at 2575 Coney Island Avenue is a drop-off site, and other can be found here.

For Sabbath observers, a drug take-back event is scheduled for the 66th Precinct at 5822 16th Avenue today, September 28, 2012, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Thank you to State Senator Marty Golden for tipping us off about the event.

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Chairman of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, which has jurisdiction over compulsive gambling issues, has voiced his concern, in an address before the Assembly, that increased casino gambling opportunities in New York State will lead to a serious rise in problem gambling.  Earlier this week the Assembly passed a concurrent resolution to put an amendment before voters in November authorizing as many as seven full-service casinos, at locations yet to be determined, throughout the State.

(Don’t forget to take Sheepshead Bites’ poll: Do you think New York should legalize gambling?)

“These new casinos have the potential to bring in millions of dollars for New York State, but it must not come at the cost of adding additional gamblers to the ranks of the problem gambling population.  Once the additional roulette wheels are spinning and the craps tables are functioning it will be too late to take preventive action.  Now is the time to plan on having the necessary programs in place to prevent problem gambling and provide treatment for those who have a gambling problem,” Cymbrowitz stated.

“The statistics are alarming.  According to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, gambling addictions increase by approximately ten percent within a 50-mile radius of casinos and bankruptcy rates are about 18 percent higher in communities with casinos.  This issue affects everyone, as University of Georgia researchers pointed out, a problem gambler costs society $13,586; other studies put that figure as high as $52,000 annually.  Add to this a myriad of public health problems including drug addiction, domestic violence, divorce, child abuse, suicide attempts, and crime and it becomes obvious that allocating money for problem gambling prevention programs is an investment not an expense,” Cymbrowitz explained.                                                      

“New York State already has one million problem gamblers. Offering New Yorkers additional gambling venues will surely add to this number.  As we move ahead, I look forward to working on a comprehensive proposal that includes a prevention and treatment component,” Cymbrowitz said.

Cymbrowitz, who voted for the concurrent amendment earlier this week, has been calling for a proactive plan to prevent an increase in problem gambling since the amendment was first proposed last August.  In a letter to Bennett Liebman, New York State’s Deputy Secretary for Gaming and Racing, he called for a percentage of revenue generated from any new gambling offerings in New York State to be dedicated to prevention and treatment of problem and compulsive gamblers.

Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Chairman of the Assembly’s Racing and Wagering Committee and sponsor of the concurrent resolution has committed to allocating funding for compulsive gambling prevention and treatment programs.  The details will be worked out next year when the enabling resolution will be deliberated and written.

Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature announced earlier this month that the state will consider a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling to put money in state coffers.

Legalization could raise as much as $2 billion, but legalization would happen no sooner than 2014. The amendment would need to be approved in 2012 and then again in 2013, and, finally, would need to be adopted by voters during a 2013 referendum.

Currently, casinos are restricted only to five Native American reservations, which oppose legalization.

The move, though, would not be without its pitfalls. Cuomo has urged caution, and told proponents to use the next two years to iron out a solid plan for implementation.

Locally, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz is requesting that any plan include funding to address gambling addiction. Cymbrowitz is chair of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, which has jurisdiction over compulsive gambling.

“With the current limited availability of gambling opportunities in New York State, nearly one million New Yorkers are problem gamblers. Additionally, a survey of 7th through 12th grade high school students found that ten percent, or 140,000 of these students, showed signs of problem gambling in the past 12 months. These are sobering statistics. If we are considering increasing the number of casinos, we must also consider the toll it will take on New Yorkers prone to gambling addiction and do everything possible to insure that they are protected,” Cymbrowitz said. “If the Legislature moves forward with the process of approving additional casinos it is paramount that we have a comprehensive plan in place to prevent an increase in compulsive gambling and also bolster existing problem gambling treatment programs.”

What do you think? Should gambling be legalized in New York State, or does it bring too many problems?

The following is a press release we received from the Office of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, was honored with the New York Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers’ (ASAP) 2011 Public Service Award, at their 13th  Annual conference.  ASAP’s membership includes the largest alcoholism and substance abuse prevention, treatment, research and training providers in the country. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz was recognized for his support for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

Continue Reading »