Eastern Suffolk BOCES’ Student Assistance Services is a school-based program designed to address the social and emotional needs of students by placing counselors in schools to provide early alcohol and drug intervention and prevention services for students in grades K-12. However, our mission goes beyond simply what happens within a school district setting. Through the provision of information on this website, it is our hope to give students the tools they need to be educated on substances they may encounter, handle peer pressure and understand how to help friends in need.
In this section, we will provide a summary of the primary drugs – gateway, illegal and prescription – used by adolescents and teenagers, the basic science of addiction, information on combatting peer pressure and helping friends, alternative activities and some useful resources and links for students.