Last October, PDFNJ embarked on a journey to find solutions to the prescription drug abuse problem with the medical community, law enforcement, and prevention and treatment professionals. Five events later, the Do No Harm symposium has enjoyed a very successful run across the state, engaging more than 1,000 New Jersey medical professionals on this issue. We’ve witnessed great discussion and commitment from the medical community to end this epidemic once and for all.
On December 4th at the Newark Museum between 8:30am and 12pm, a Do No Harm symposium will be held exclusively for New Jersey's faith-based community. We have always recognized that educating the medical community about the dangers of prescription drug abuse only addresses one faction of the issue. That is why we are now turning our attention to those in the community who people go to for guidance and spiritual healing. Prescription drug abuse knows no demographics or community boundaries. It can affect each one of us, regardless of who we are. By speaking to the faith based community, we can arm them with the knowledge they need to assist families who are suffering at the hands of addiction. This symposium will also empower faith based leaders with the tools they need to provide substance abuse prevention messages to share with their congregations.
We now turn to you, the faithful PDFNJ blog reader, to help us accomplish this goal. Please pass this post along to your local religious community leaders and let them know that this crucial event will enable them to identify the signs of prescription drug abuse in their congregations and give them the resources to help those who are affected. Do No Harm is more than a prescription drug abuse awareness event. It is about coming together. With two people in New Jersey dying everyday in 2013 due to opioid overdose, coming together is more important than ever.
To register for the December 4th event, please visit drugfreenj.org/faithbaseddonoharm. Please pass this link on to religious leaders in your community so they can register for this free symposium.