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Recognizing Women in Recovery for Women’s History Month
This week’s guest blogger is Sheilah Powell, a lifelong native of New Jersey, who is involved with local, state and national recovery advocacy. She is a tireless advocate serving on numerous grassroots committees and task forces throughout the state and has made it her personal and professional mission to eradicate the stigma around substance use disorder.
Sheila is going to be a panelist in the SHE RECOVERS ® Foundation, Amplifying Women’s Stories in Recovery Advocacy, an online global event taking place at 2 p.m. on March 8th. To learn more and register please click here.
As today marks the start of Women’s History month below, Sheilah discusses the importance of women sharing their personal recovery stories, speaking up and having a voice in recovery advocacy.
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What You Need to Know Before Wisdom Tooth Surgery
I recently had the opportunity to speak to 101.5 FM about the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s 2023 Public Service Campaign addressing opioid alternatives to treat pain for wisdom tooth surgery. I urge you all to take a few minutes and read the article to understand the real dangers that come along with opioid use, particularly when prescribed for wisdom teeth removal.
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Sharp Rise of Children Ingesting Edibles is of Grave Concern
A new American Academy of Pediatrics study, Pediatric Edible Cannabis Exposure and Acute Toxicity: 2017-2021, has found a sharp rise in the number of children who accidentally ingested marijuana edibles. From 2017 through 2021 there were more than 7,000 confirmed cases of children younger than 6 ingesting edibles in the United States. There was a 1,375 percent increase in the number of cases from 2017 to 2021, rising from 200 cases in 2017 to more than 3,000 reported in 2021, with almost a quarter of the children requiring hospitalization.
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U.S. Surgeon General: Adolescents & Social Media Dangers
For the last two years, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) has focused a series of media campaigns on the adolescent mental crisis unfolding in our country and its direct impact on experimentation and substance use or misuse.
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FREE Webinar Addressing Marijuana in the Workplace
It has been nearly two years since the adult use of marijuana was legalized in New Jersey. As a result, a complex set of issues has arisen from a workplace perspective for employers and businesses looking to proactively address this issue and maintain a healthy, safe, a safe and drug-free workplace.
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New Bookshop in Trenton Serves the Recovery Community
This week’s guest blogger is Harry Jackendorff from St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Trenton, who has set up the 12-Steps & More Bookstore to assist individuals in learning about and engaging in addiction recovery and how to access recovery and treatment programs. In addition to books on recovery, there are also a number of books covering self-help and mental wellness.
Initiatives like this are encouraging as together can we help to reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder and assist those who are impacted to get valuable resources and the help they need.
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Talking to Teens About the Dangers of Fentanyl and Opioids
Fentanyl and other illegally manufactured synthetic opioids have made the danger of experimenting with drugs even more deadly than ever before. A recent New York Times article detailed how best to talk to today’s adolescents about fentanyl and the danger relating to experimentation in a way that will resonate with them.
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Let’s Team Up to Knock Out Opioid Abuse
Winter sports season is upon us and many student athletes are hitting the slopes, playing tough defense on the hardwood, pinning opponents on the wrestling mat, strapping on skates, competing in winter track events and even striking out at their local bowling alleys. Injuries in these sports can happen, and it is vital to reach these students and educate them about the dangers of prescription opioids.
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Marijuana Use Increases Risk for Atrial Fibrillation
A new study has revealed that several illicit drugs can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib). These include methamphetamine, cocaine and opioids, but another drug found to increase AFib is cannabis. Researchers found that cannabis users had a 35 percent higher risk of developing AFib, compared to people with no record of using cannabis.
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Substance Use Disorder Must Be Treated as a Medical Problem
This week’s guest blogger is Tonia Ahern, Advocacy Coordinator at the National Center for Advocacy and Recovery for Behavioral Health (NCAAR) and Family Advocate/Government Affairs at the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.
She shares her personal story of her son, Rory, who sadly lost his life to substance use disorder in 2021, as part of an important documentary, “Untreated & Unheard: The Addiction Crisis in America”, which documents individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder and steps we can take to help make changes.