PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. -- Putnam County police officers will be conducting party patrols during graduation season to prevent underage drinking and drunk driving in conjunction with Putnam Communities That Care Coalition. Carmel Police Chief Michael Cazzari said police will be looking for intoxicated/impaired drivers as well as underage drink parties.“High school graduation is a time for ...

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. --  The National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies/Putnam (NCADD) has joined forces with the New York Council on Problem Gambling to carry out the YOU(th) Decide Program in Putnam County. 2017 marks the sixth year that the New York Council on Problem Gambling has worked with local providers in an effort to prevent underage and problem gambling.YOU(th) ...

CARMEL, N.Y. – Representatives from Putnam County recently attended a four-day conference designed to teach the latest strategies to address substance abuse, according to officials.Organized by Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America, the 27th annual National Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., brought together more than 3,000 substance abuse prevention specialists and advocates from ...

CARMEL, N.Y. – New Year’s Eve is almost here, the time when many folks make resolutions to lost weight, exercise more or drink less.If the last one is one your list, here’s some advice for safely ringing in 2017 from the Camp Recovery Center Health Group via Putnam’s Community That Cares Coalition (CTC).Rethink The DrinkIf in the past you’ve had a problem with drinking at New Year’s Eve ...

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. -- Teenagers across Putnam County are gearing up for party time during the holidays, just like their parents.But when it comes to teen parties, parents will want to be on top of the three main questions according to the Putnam Communities That Care Coalition:1. Who is having the party?2. Where is the party?3. Will there be adult supervision?The CTC also offers the ...

CARMEL, N.Y. -- Thanksgiving is a chance for family and friends to get together and share a meal or watch the big game, but there is also something insidious lurking around holiday time – drinking and driving, says a Putnam group dedicated to helping teens avoid risky behaviors.According to Bruce Kelly, a coalition coordinator for Putnam Communities That Care, the night before ...

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. -- Residents got rid of more than 235 pounds of old or unneeded medication on Saturday during the Putnam Communities That Care Coalition’s Medication Take Back Day. The event, which is co-sponsored by Putnam Hospital Center, the Department of Health and the Sheriff’s Office, was a huge success this year, officials said. “Keeping these medications out of the water ...

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. -- Residents who have a medicine cabinet full of old medication will want to take part in the upcoming "Medication Take Back Day," on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Putnam Hospital Center.Sponsored by the Putnam Communities That Care Coalition, in collaboration with the Putnam County Health Department and Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the event will take ...

PATTERSON, N.Y. -- Is your medicine cabinet full of expired drugs or medications you no longer use? How should you dispose of them?In Patterson, unwanted or unused medications can be placed in a MedReturn box, one of seven in Putnam County.These community-based drug “take-back” programs offer the best option for disposing certain types of medications, according to the U.S. Food & ...

PUTNAM VALLEY, N.Y. -- Representatives from the local community attended a breakfast meeting on Sept. 20 with the goal of identifying risky behaviors among Putnam Valley teens.The leadership event, sponsored by the Putnam Valley Communities That Care and Putnam CTC coalitions drew 34 representatives from government, the faith and business communities, law enforcement, schools, media, ...