Longwood deputy superintendent Michael Lonergan said the district gauges student drug and alcohol abuse by school suspension rates. He said alcohol and marijuana usage at Longwood appears comparable to averages throughout the country.

While the teen heroin epidemic is no secret on Long Island, Dr. Lonergan said no district students have been found in possession of heroin this school year -- although one student was caught with a syringe. He said the district is investigating to see if the syringe was used for diabetes control.

John Venza, vice president of adolescent services at the Outreach House of New York City and Long Island, showed a PowerPoint presentation that explored why students are using heroin.

"This has been building up steam and momentum since the early '90s," he said. "And it's blown up on us."

Now that the heroin problem is being addressed in local communities, Mr. Venza stressed that parents shouldn't begin to think that other substances are not as bad or less important.

When some parents learn that their child is smoking marijuana, their response is, "Thank goodness it's only marijuana," he said. And, according to Mr. Venza, the response students give most often when asked why it's OK to smoke marijuana is, "It's not like I'm using heroin."

That was the mentality 22-year-old Armando Siciliani had when he began using marijuana and alcohol. When he entered Connetquot High School, he said, that led to an addiction to Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin. And eventually, he began injecting heroin.

As of 2009, Mr. Siciliani had been arrested 10 times.

Mr. Siciliani's probation officer recommended Phoenix House, a drug rehabilitation home.

Mr. Venza cited in-patient care as the first option, not the last option, parents should think about. He said many parents instead look at cheaper options that might not be as effective.

"For a long time, you have not wanted to believe that your kid was really using," he said. "And at the same time, your kids are working real hard to not get caught. So the combination of you not wanting to believe it and them not wanting to get caught, it'll be several months of them using and you won't even know it."

jennifer@northshoresun.com

Is your child using drugs?

* Confront alcohol and marijuana problems first. Studies show they are gateways to heroin use.

* Don't be in denial. If your child's behaviors and excuses don't match up, take action.

* Don't take action alone. Work with a professional who can help you come up with a plan.

* If you're thinking about drug testing your child, you should seek help beforehand because you're already at a critical point at which when professional assistance is needed.

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