I am excited to share with you that the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator of Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES), which is responsible for overseeing addiction-fighting efforts across the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, will continue their collaboration on the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series in 2022.

The Learning Series has been a tremendous success since it began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Webinars have focused on various aspects of the opioid epidemic and its impact on New Jersey and the nation. The series has become a valuable resource for New Jersey residents, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s partnership has been key to that success.

The 2022 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will include a webinar every month on wide-ranging topics concerning the opioid epidemic, including medication-assisted treatment, harm reduction, the impact on families and addiction recovery. The Learning Series will kick off at 1 p.m. Thursday, January 27, with the webinar “An Hour with Sam Quinones Author of ‘Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic.’”

Sam Quinones

The series is an extension of PDFNJ’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day initiative, which is held annually on October 6 to educate residents and prescribers on the risks of prescription opioids and to raise awareness of the opioid crisis throughout the state.

In 2021, the Learning Series featured 10 webinars that drew a total audience of more than 8,000 participants. Speakers included Lieutenant Commander Jamie Mells of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck and leading experts from state government, law enforcement, healthcare and the prevention, treatment and recovery fields.

For a schedule of this year’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series webinars and to register, please visit knockoutday.drugfreenj.org.