032774 Less drugs, VD here in Yonkers


Two of life's grubbier statistics are not as apparent in Yonkers as they were - drug-related deaths and gonorrhea.

DEATHS IN Yonkers related to drug abuse declined 75 per cent last year compared to 1972, according to Dr. Karl Rassmussen, outgoing executive director of the city's Youth Services Agency.

F 'our persons died from drugs last year while 12 deaths were reported the year before. The drop ends a two year  increase in drug-related deaths. Much of the credit goes to the Youth Services Agency. the Yonkers Narcotics Guidance Council and to Rassmussen personally for establishing effective programs and making them work.

The city's youth. too deserve credit for the trend away from hard drugs, especially heroin. Many realize, there's, no future worth having if it requires the daily hassle of being an addict.

A SURVEY by the American Social Health Association on gonorrhea in 63 American cities with populations of more than 200,000 ranked Yonkers 63rd. which means Yonkers had the least incidence of the disease in the nation among the big cities.

Atlanta, Ga.. ranked first  with 29566 cases per 100,000 residents.

Yonkers had 143 cases per 100,000 residents.

This is an outstanding record, considering that just last year venereal disease in Yonkers was increasing at an alarming rate.

Much of the credit here goes to the Community Action Program and the Health Department for the education-treatment program established here.

A 50-person CAP task force went. door to door telling people about the CAP VD clinic, Some 900 persons visited the center during an eight-week span and 400 cities were referred to the Health Department.

Talks with parents gained widespread support throughout the city.The message that gonorrhea is not restricted to low income residents and "nice people get VD too" -
backed up by statistics on the number of middle and upper class young people who contracted gonorrhea - was brought home.

Let's hope this year not, a single death in Yonkers is attributed to drugs and that venereal disease declines even further.

And let's give deserved praise to the people who put together the successful attack on VD and drugs.

They've helped make Yonkers a healthier city and shown that common sense is one of our strong points.