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Local coalitions urge continued federal prevention funding and town ‘opt-out’ on marijuana sales
Summary
Representatives of the Rockville Center Coalition for Youth and the Saving Lives 5 Towns Coalition updated the board on prevention work, said overdose rates have fallen and urged the town to remain opted out of marijuana sales and continue Narcan training and grant-funded programs.
Representatives of local substance-use prevention coalitions addressed the Town of Hempstead board on May 27, urging continued funding for youth-prevention work, wider Narcan distribution and that the town remain opted out of marijuana sales.
Ruth Ann McCormick, director of the Rockville Center Coalition for Youth, told the board the coalition’s principal mission is to reduce youth substance use through education and prevention and that it works with 12 community sectors including law enforcement and schools. McCormick said the coalition is in its tenth year of Drug-Free Communities (DFC) funding and that it recently began a "Partnership for Success" grant year that faces a funding cliff in September.
"The CDC just came out with results that overdoses are down nearly 33 percent, and they said this is due to community organizations like ourselves," McCormick said. She asked the board to "continue your support, and to stay with, opting out of the legalization of marijuana and the sale of marijuana in the town of Hempstead." McCormick also thanked Councilwoman Ryder and town staff for cooperating on Narcan training and community presentations.
Elizabeth (identified in the transcript as a coalition speaker) described a local youth problem with drinking and drug use and said young people asked local pastors for "the truth" about substance harms. Elizabeth cited a presenter, emergency physician Rene Levy, who listed multiple harms from marijuana use; she urged the town to delay relying on revenue projections until the community has comprehensive data on law enforcement, mental-health and emergency-room impacts.
Susan Blonder, director of the Saving Lives 5 Towns Drug and Alcohol Coalition (affiliated with the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC), said her group has been a collaborative partner with the Rockville Center coalition and described ongoing public education, Narcan training and medicine take-back work. Blonder thanked Councilwoman Miller for participating in Narcan training and referenced outreach materials included in the meeting packet.
What was not decided: The board did not take any formal action on marijuana policy during the meeting; the speakers asked the board to continue supporting prevention funding and to remain opted out of marijuana sales.
Source: Public comment recorded at the Town Board meeting, May 27, 2025.
