FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2019

Contact: Nicolette Nappi, Media Coordinator, 973-382-4560, Nicolette@drugfreenj.org

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall to Highlight Impact of Opioid Epidemic on Hunterdon Medical Center Community

FLEMINGTON — Local leaders will come together next month to provide residents with a detailed understanding of the impact the opioid epidemic has made on their community at a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall being held at Hunterdon Medical Center.

The event, co-sponsored by Hunterdon Healthcare, will feature a panel discussion with experts discussing the opioid epidemic’s effects on the local community from 7 – 9 p.m. Wednesday, October 9 at Hunterdon Medical Center, 2100 Wescott Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Prior to the town hall, a representative from the Drug Enforcement Administration ­– New Jersey Division will set up a Hidden in Plain Sight presentation, which portrays a mock teenage bedroom with everyday items that can actually be indicators of drug use or risky behavior.

“The opioid crisis ravaging New Jersey has affected every community in the state, but each in a different way,” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente said. “It is vital that communities hold discussions like the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall as a way to inform residents about the opioid crisis and encourage dialogue among leaders in government, healthcare, law enforcement and prevention to find solutions to address this epidemic.”

The town hall will be the sixth community event in the continuation of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, a two-year initiative focusing on addressing the opioid epidemic through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide campaign to increase awareness of the crisis. The new series of town halls builds on the progress of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series from 2017 and 2018, which was held for all 21 New Jersey counties and also supported by a grant from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

Speakers at the town hall will include:

• Hunterdon County Prosecutor Michael Williams
• Nava Bastola, Public Health Analyst, NY/NJ High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA)
• Dr. Nimish Mehta, Hunterdon Medical Center
• Dr. Jeffrey Moore, Superintendent, Hunterdon Central Regional High School
• Greg Rearick, Supervisor, Hunterdon Opioid Overdose Recovery Program
• Lesley Gabel, Co-Director, CEO, Prevention Resources
• Heather Ogden, Advocacy Coordinator, NCADD – NJ

“Horizon looks forward to continuing the statewide conversation on how to combat the larger opioid epidemic and applying what we learned from the first round of town halls to actionable steps that connect people to localized services and solutions,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. “In addition, town halls will be streamed live on a new website so that anyone can attend and experience the discussion.”   

Residents can register to attend the town hall at knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org/townhallseries. Attendees can also submit questions for panelists prior to the events and share their personal stories of how they have been affected by the opioid epidemic.

The website also features information on scheduled town halls, video from each event and a look into the lives of New Jersey residents who have been affected by the opioid epidemic. It also includes an online continuing medical education program for prescribers and information on parent education through the Knock Out Opioid Abuse 5^th Grade Parent Alert.

More than 3,000 people died from drug overdoses in New Jersey in 2018, a majority of which was opioid-related. Nationwide, more than 47,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2017, and official figures for 2018 could exceed that total.

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Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey: Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 174 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.8 million members.

About The Horizon Foundation For New Jersey: The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is committed to working alongside those who can help us improve our neighbors’ health, inform their health decisions and inspire them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. The Foundation’s funding pillars are Caring, Connecting and Creating. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, both of which are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit www.Horizonblue.com/Foundation.