Parent Connection Program

To Focus On Trends In Substance Abuse

The Newtown Parent Connection offers its third forum of the season with a program sponsored by the Newtown Police Department, “Dare to Discuss Drugs III: Local Trends in Substance Use & Abuse.”

The program is Monday, November 7, from 7 to 9 pm, at the Newtown Middle School auditorium.

Tom Janette, community affairs director of the Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association (NEOA) based in Wallingford, will share his expertise in the field of substance abuse prevention.

In a Connecticut Magazine article last February, Mr Janette discussed the latest trends in substances plaguing communities. Referring to drug sales, he said, “Some of this stuff is manufactured to be marketed specifically to young kids — we’ve seen ecstasy pills with the ‘HP’ Harry Potter logo and the Superman ‘S’ stamped on them.”

He warns the public of the dangers lurking within Connecticut towns. “But what parents fail to appreciate is that there’s a whole new world of substances out there that science and even law-enforcement officials don’t know enough about,” says Mr Janette.

His nonprofit organization was founded to educate police, parents, educators, and the general public about emerging trends in drug use. Mr Janette keeps current about the drug scene by attending raves and clubs; he also travels around Connecticut giving presentations about how and where club drugs are bought and used.

The Newtown Parent Connection is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and empower the community in the prevention of substance abuse and embrace families in crisis. Since May 2005, five young people from Newtown have lost their lives to substance abuse-related factors.