Port Jefferson Rotary (February 2, 2016) (Feb 02, 2016)

Our visiting speaker was Jason Spiller, a retired NYPD detective with a background that included work with DEA investigations, the Joint Terrorism Task Force (including a stint in Afghanistan), "The Runaway Squad" (an A&E TV reality show), and as a Private Investigator at JGS Consulting LLC. Jason talked to us about drug prevention, drug awareness, and drug education, emphasizing the extent of the problem locally. The appearance of several "vapor shops" in PJ Village caused Jason to begin his current activity. He is now working with kids at the elementary school, educating them about the dangers of drug use. Since heroin is relatively cheap and readily available, its use has skyrocketed- and is such a powerful draw that the need for sharing anti-drug information must now begin with youngsters in the earliest grades. Jason shared information about Operation Medicine Cabinet, a police district-wide program that will enable residents to drop off unwanted, unused, or expired medications at safe, secure locations 24/7 in each of Suffolk's 7 police precincts. This program should keep away from our children the availability of drugs that are often the gateway to heroin abuse, while also safeguarding our environment (by keeping the drugs from ending up affecting our groundwater and waterways). Jason spoke about the need for/use of Narcan training and also passed out information sheets about how to create and use a Medicine Cabinet Inventory to combat prescription drug abuse, about the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the Dept. of Health Services, and about reasons we should be concerned, what we can do, and fact sheets regarding heroin and prescription opiods, so we can begin by educating ourselves on this growing societal problem. He pointed out that our youth also need to know that "fake pot" is poison that can make one sick and even cause death. In answering our questions, Jason stressed the need for self-awareness, involvement in Narcan training, and spreading the word. If we see suspicious activity- especially that which might include drugs- he urges us to call 9-1-1, creating a paper trail, and forcing the police, who are usually not pro-active, to take some sort of action. He also urges us to check out the PJ Community Alliance on Face Book, to call him (631-235-4095) or email him (jasonspiller@aol.com) for further information.