In the News
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njspotlight.com: OP-ED: PREVENT OPIATE ADDICTION AT THE SOURCE THROUGH EDUCATING PATIENTS
Posted 1/9/2015
Over the past two decades, the number of prescriptions for opiate-based painkillers has tripled, while dosages have grown stronger. The prime source for the national explosion of opiate addiction -- whether in the form of painkillers such as OxyContin or in the form of illegal street drugs such as heroin -- is the dramatic increase in the use of opiate-based prescription drugs.
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NJ.com: Tainted heroin kills 6, N.J. issues warning about 3 deadly brands
Posted 1/8/2015
State officials from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York have identified three highly lethal brands of drugs that have been responsible for at least six overdose deaths recently, the latest twist in the state's ongoing battle with heroin and opioid abuse.
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myfoxny.com: Kratom: potentially dangerous but legal herb
Posted 1/5/2015
You may not know what kratom is but chances are your kids do or will soon. Kratom comes from a plant native to Thailand, Malaysia, and elsewhere. It can mimic the effects of heroin. It is not new; people have used it since the 1900s. But the herb's popularity is growing rapidly on the Internet.
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Eurekalert.org: Skipping college makes young people more likely to abuse pain pills
Posted 12/31/2014
A study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health compared the use of prescription opioids and stimulants among high school graduates, non-graduates, and their college-attending peers, and found that young adults who do not attend college are at particularly high risk for nonmedical prescription opioid use and disorder.
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UPDATE: NJ Parents Concerned About Rx Drugs Their Child is Prescribed, Bill Aims to Supply Information and Alternatives
Posted 12/19/2014
TRENTON -- Senate Bill S2366 passed the New Jersey Senate by a vote of 36-1 and will be decided on by the New Jersey State Assembly. The bill will require practitioners to have a discussion about the highly addictive nature of opiate based prescriptions when prescribing for the first time and patients to formally acknowledge in writing that they are aware of the risks and were also offered reasonable alternatives. If S2366 passes the Assembly, it will move on to the Governor’s office to be signed into law.
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Mothers from TalkNowNJ.com to appear on Caucus: NJ with Steve Adubato
Posted 12/19/2014
Meg Parisi, Abby Boxman, and Donna DeStefano, three mothers who were featured in a video on TalkNowNJ.com, along with PDFNJ Executive Director, Angelo M. Valente, appeared on Caucus: New Jersey with Steve Adubato. TalkNowNJ.com also contains resources for parents on the signs and symptoms of opiate and a quiz to test parents’ knowledge of prescription drug abuse.
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NJ.com: N.J. heroin crisis: Senate, Assembly pass bills that would expand Narcan immunity, require sober living at colleges
Posted 12/18/2014
The New Jersey Legislature passed several bills targeting the state's burgeoning heroin and prescription opioid problem, which claimed at least 740 lives last year.
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NJ.com: Clergy reminded of role in aiding the fight against addiction
Posted 12/11/2014
NEWARK -- “You are the first-responders for families,” Fran Miceli told the 75 clergy, staff of religious institutions and law enforcement officials at the “Do No Harm” symposium in the Newark Museum last Thursday, December 4, 2014.
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Religious Leaders Gather To Address NJ’s Opiate Abuse Epidemic
Posted 12/4/2014
NEWARK – Turning to a faith leader to help address substance abuse addiction in a loved one is often the first step for a family. PDFNJ coordinated a free training to provide resources and information to those Faith Based leaders. The Faith Based Do No Harm Symposium was held on December 4, 2014 at the Newark Museum. The symposium was sponsored by PDFNJ and DEA-New Jersey Division.
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Dr. Shevendu Sen, Raritan Bay Medical Center and Tom Allen, Summit Behavioral Health recently appeared on Caucus-NJ
Posted 12/3/2014
Dr. Shevendu Sen, Raritan Bay Medical Center and Tom Allen, Summit Behavioral Health recently appeared on Caucus-NJ to discuss solutions to the epidemic of opiate abuse in New Jersey.