In the News

  • njspotlight.com: NEW JERSEY CRANKS UP ITS EFFORTS TO FIGHT OPIOID ADDICTION, DEATHS

    Posted 7/9/2015

    Opioid addiction is a fast-growing threat both in New Jersey and across the country, with the toll of lives lost and families left bereft climbing daily. In 2014 alone, for example, there were 600 fatal heroin overdoses.

  • usnews.com: Heroin Use Skyrockets in U.S.

    Posted 7/8/2015

    Heroin-related overdose deaths in the U.S. have increased by nearly 300 percent in recent years, and a new report from the federal government shows people who use the drug are not confined to a particular income level or age group.

  • nj.com: N.J. heroin overdose death rate is triple the soaring U.S. rate

    Posted 7/8/2015

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the rate of heroin overdose deaths has nearly tripled since 2010. "Heroin use is increasing rapidly across all demographic groups," said Thomas Friedan, the director of the CDC. "In just a decade, the landscape changed ... Around one in 50 (heroin-users) may die each year from their addiction."

  • cdc.gov: New research reveals the trends and risk factors behind America’s growing heroin epidemic

    Posted 7/7/2015

    Heroin use has increased across the United States among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. The greatest increases have occurred in groups with historically lower rates of heroin use, including women and people with private insurance and higher incomes. In addition, nearly all people who use heroin also use multiple other substances, according to the latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

  • NJ HOSPITALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERING TO FIGHT DEADLY EPIDEMIC OF OPIATES OVERDOSE

    Posted 7/1/2015

    (FREEHOLD) Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni and Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced a new partnership with all hospitals in their respective counties at a joint press conference Wednesday morning. Barnabas Health-affiliated hospitals, CentraState Medical Center and Meridian Health-affiliated hospitals have each stepped forward in the fight to stem the tide of the overdose epidemic by agreeing to replenish the overdose antidote naloxone for law enforcement officers free of charge.

  • Parent Alert- yahoo.com: More Dangerous Than Cocaine, Cheaper Than a Big Mac

    Posted 6/11/2015

    The hottest designer drug to hit the underground market is a cousin of bath salts known as flakka. Placed on the U.S. list of illegal controlled substances in 2014, flakka’s popularity has surged, especially in Florida, where it arrives in droves from China through the mail. The drug has reportedly also shown up in Ohio, Texas and Illinois. Other states, such as New York, have issued warnings about it.

  • philly.com: Pill popping is pervasive

    Posted 6/5/2015

    Doctors should want to discuss such realities with patients before prescribing painkillers, but too often, that conversation never occurs. It's understandable that physicians don't want to be told how to interact with patients, but the extent of painkiller addiction in this country means it can no longer be left to chance. Doctors must talk to their patients about the risks of becoming addicted to prescribed drugs.

  • PDFNJ Remembers Gerry Marini, Founder of Drugs Don't Work in NJ

    Posted 5/29/2015

    New Jersey's substance abuse prevention and treatment community suffered a great loss last week with the passing of Gerry Marini, founder of Drugs Don't Work in New Jersey. Gerry was a pioneer in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment, bringing conversation and action to businesses and work places throughout the state to help prevent substance abuse and bring treatment opportunities to the masses.

  • njtoday.net: Cost of Addiction Treatment in New Jersey

    Posted 5/2/2015

    Should there be a cap on the cost of health and happiness? It’s an unfortunate truth that drug and alcohol addiction continues across the country. Most people are at least familiar with the concept of a 12-step program, a program developed to aid drug or alcohol addicts overcome their addiction. The 12-step program has been questioned in regards to the rising cost of addiction.

  • Do No Harm Symposium in Morris County Addresses Opiate Abuse and NJ’s Correctional Facilities

    Posted 5/1/2015

    MORRISTOWN – Physicians in Morristown and neighboring counties had the opportunity to learn more about the prescription drug and heroin abuse epidemic in New Jersey, and the effect of the epidemic on our correction facilities.