Heroin on Long Island

By Shari Einhorn

"Our daughter was beautiful.  She was smart and she was healthy.  She didn't look like a heroin addict.  She didn't act like a heroin addict."

 

That heart wrenching quote is from Doreen Ciappa.  She's the mother of Natalie Ciappa who you see here on the left.  The 18 year old was found unconscious at a Seaford house party last month.  Today, investigators announced that her death was related to heroin.

Her parents, devastated by their daughters death decided to share some of the private details of their daughter's life.  Their main purpose -- to spare other parents the same pain and anguish. 

Natalie's mother told a roomful of TV, radio and newspaper reporters that her smart, beautiful daughter had become addicted to heroin, and had, in fact, overdosed on Memorial Day.

Doreen Ciappa said she and her husband tried everything they could to get help for their daughter, who apparently said she didn't want or need it.  Natalie was 18 years old and her parents say that made it nearly impossible for them to force her into rehab.

We spoke to drug counselor Wayne Rothwell from South Oaks Hospital who said, "Every time heroin comes back, it comes back with a vengeance."  He told me he's seen young adults 18, 19 and 20 years old addicted to heroin.  It's cheaper and easier to get, more potent and more addictive than ever before.

In his words, "It's a drug that claims lives.  It's not a drug to be fooled around with."

Click here to see our previous coverage of this story and also my 3 part series "Heroin: Addicted on Long Island"

We got a lot of comments about heroin use on Long Island last time we did a story on the topic.  We'd like to hear from you again.  You can post a comment on this blog or go to our News12.com soundoff board and express your views there.

Shari

Comments

[Bill C]

I worked at a restaurant like 8 years ago and and a few people I knew were ddicted to Heroin. Tragically Mario went away and went to rehab but relapsed and when he relapsed he did the same amount he did before he went into rehab. You can build a tolerance and his mother found him dead in his bedroom. Bayport had back then a big issue with Heroin and being an upperclass community you would never think an epedemic like Heroin would take over but it did and many people became hooked. Later on my close friend at work she became addicted and lost like 30 llbs and looked like death. She tried to kill herself and ednded up in the hospital. Luckily she is ok but it never seems to amaze me that young adults dont think they can become addicts. People say Marijuana is a gateway drug but I believe alcohol is the gateway drug but its legal. Kids will never learn and parents will never believe its their kids. Unfourunately for this family they have to bury a daughter cause of drugs. How many car accidents and overdoses do we have to endure on Long Island. It seems everyday someone is getting killed do to their own actions.