Levy's Heroin Treatment Initiative

Earlier this month, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy unveiled plans for a

for a Medication-Assisted Therapy approach to be used at county health centers, combining the prescription medication Suboxone with outpatient counseling to help battle the rampant drug problem that is hitting Long Island hard.

"Research shows that almost nine of ten individuals will relapse after just a single stay in a detoxification center," said Levy in a statement. "One of the reasons for this is that inpatient detoxification typically lasts 3-5 days, while the severe withdrawal conditions can last 7-10 days."

Suboxone has been shown to be successful in treating adolescents with a shorter history of heroin or opiate addiction, in that the medication aggressively blocks the high that is normally obtained through use of heroin. It also tempers the craving within the user, a statement said.

 Included in the educational component is:

-A special heroin curriculum in the Police Smart program presented at local schools

-A resource guide for parents to spot signs of drug addiction, with a listing of the wide range of support services available

-A series of HELP forums throughout the county, the first of which is scheduled for April 20 at the East Islip High School

The resolution utilizes approximately $850,000 in savings realized from consolidating the Central Islip health center into operations at Brentwood also allocates:

-$275,000 towards obstetrics services at Peconic Bay Medical Center

-$150,000 to implement the recommendations of the health center financial review committee

-75,000 towards the county's Electronic Medical Records implementation