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Adolescent Use of Marijuana Can Have Long-Term Effects
Last week, New Jersey began the sale of cannabis for recreational use, a decision that will affect how today’s youth perceive the substance. As our state embarks on this new path, I think it is important to have discussions with our children about the dangers marijuana use can pose to the developing brain.
In 2018, approximately 192 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 used cannabis recreationally. Young adults ages 18 to 25 accounted for 35 percent of that total, indicating that a significant number of users are adolescents and young adults whose brains are still in development.
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Safeguard Your Home for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Drug overdoses and drug overdose-related deaths are up over last year, with 3,124 drug overdose deaths reported in New Jersey in 2021. A majority of these deaths involved some form of an opioid. As the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is on April 30th, I wanted to remind you to take stock of your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of any unused or expired medication.
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We Must Raise Awareness About the Dangers of Fentanyl
According to the CDC, ingesting just 0.002 grams of fentanyl results in certain death. In 2021, 3,124 people in New Jersey died from a drug overdose with the majority involving some form of an opioid, such as fentanyl. Overdose deaths linked to fentanyl were the leading cause of drug-related deaths in New Jersey for 2018 and 2019. The state has not yet released the data on 2020 and 2021, but the results are expected to be similar.
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April is Alcohol Awareness Month
A new study has found that alcohol-related deaths in the United States climbed nearly 26 percent in 2020, which is the largest year-over-year increase in decades. The researchers found that the largest increase, about 38 percent, occurred among people ages 25 to 44.
Sadly, we are just now understanding what effects the pandemic has had on substance use disorder. April is National Alcohol Awareness month, and it is important that we speak to today’s young people and raise awareness about the dangers of underage alcohol consumption and excessive consumption among adults.
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The Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Race
A recent article on nj.com detailed that in New Jersey, Black residents accounted for 25 percent of the overdose deaths last year through October, a significant increase from 12 percent in 2015. Through March 13 of this year, the Black population accounts for 28 percent of suspected overdose-related deaths.
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Important Legislation to Curtail Teenage Vaping
A key health care provision was recently passed that would finally give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate synthetic nicotine. I applaud the passage of this provision and the efforts of New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone, who has championed to clarify the FDA’s authority to regulate these products.
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PDFNJ Reaching Student Athletes Through New Initiative
I wanted to share some news about Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s (PDFNJ) latest Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative focusing on educating student athletes of the dangers of prescription opioids. Sadly, student athletes have an elevated risk of opioid use as sports injuries send more than 2.6 million children to the emergency room every year.
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The Disease of Addiction Affects the Whole Family
Over 3,000 people died of a drug overdose in New Jersey in 2021, and vast majority involved some form of an opioid. That is not only 3,000 deaths to many, but 3,000 families who have been affected by the opioid crisis that continues to ravage our state and the nation.
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Raising Awareness About the Dangers of Marijuana Use Among Teens
New Jersey’s legalization of the recreational use of marijuana could affect how today’s youth perceive the substance. It is important that we ensure youth and their families understand the dangers that are associated with marijuana use among adolescents.
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We Must Raise Awareness About the Dangers of Opioids
New Jersey has made great strides against the opioid epidemic, but there are still far too many residents affected by this crisis. The goal of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) is to prevent opioid substance use disorder before it starts to destroy lives. That's why it's more important than ever that we raise awareness of the dangers of prescription opioids and their link to heroin and fentanyl.