FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 23, 2019

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

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall in Somerset Hills Highlights Impact of Opioid Epidemic on Community

BERNARDSVILLE — Local experts on the opioid epidemic ravaging New Jersey addressed its impact on the Somerset Hills community and discussed solutions with its residents at a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

The Somerset Hills Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall was part of a two-year Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative to address the opioid crisis through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide awareness program in all 21 New Jersey counties throughout 2019 and 2020.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey held a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall in Somerset Hills on Tuesday, October 22. From left, Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey; Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson; Amanda Carroll, a Bernardsville resident in long-term recovery; Dr. Gail, Granowtiz, MD, Anesthesiologist; Chris Barton, Clinical Design Liason, Behavioral Health, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Jodi D’Agostini, Founder and Board Chair of Community in Crisis; Katie Meyler, a Bernardsville resident; and Father Rick Morley of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

The Somerset Hills event, held in collaboration with Community in Crisis, featured a panel discussion including Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson; Dr. Gail Granowitz, MD, Anesthesiologist; Jody D’Agostini, Founder and Board Chair of Community in Crisis; Amanda Carroll, a Bernardsville resident in long-term recovery; Katie Meyler, a Bernardsville resident; and Father Rick Morley of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

Panelists discussed various efforts to address the epidemic’s effects in the Somerset Hills area including those of law enforcement, local community leaders and grassroots organizations like Community in Crisis.

“Since becoming prosecutor, I have made combating substance abuse — especially the opioid/heroin epidemic — one of my top priorities,” Robertson said. “This epidemic facing our county and our state is not getting better, however, what is getting better are the resources available to those suffering and who need help.”

Community in Crisis, located in Basking Ridge, offers support to any and all individuals who have been impacted by the epidemic. D’Agostini discussed the organization’s prevention and sobriety support initiatives, including medicine cabinet management, meetings with parent teacher organizations in local schools and support groups for families and individuals in recovery.

She stressed the importance of treating addiction as a disease and binding together as a community to fight the stigma.

“This isn’t a casserole disease where people know someone is sick and they come to support them, but shouldn’t it be?”

The disease of addiction impacts people from all walks of life, and does not discriminate between a specific demographic of people.

“The opioid epidemic has touched us all. I have felt its impact as a doctor, as a parent and as a friend,” said Granowitz. “No one is spared.”

Meyler attested to the impact addiction can have on an entire family. She shared the traumatic experiences she faced having a sister who struggled with substance use, and the heartbreak she carries with her since her sister’s recent passing.

Both Meyler and Carroll stressed the importance of sharing stories of recovery in order to spread hope and help lead those battling with substance use to a path of recovery.

“Stigma held me back from getting sober because I didn’t want people to see who I am and look at me differently,” said Carroll. “I almost didn’t want to come tonight because I was afraid for people to know that I am in recovery, but what would happen then? I wouldn’t be here, the person who is alive and sharing their story to help someone else.”

In 2018, more than 50 people died of a suspected overdose in Somerset County, a vast majority of which involved some form of opioid, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders (EMS) administered the overdose antidote, naloxone, over 200 times in Somerset that same year.

Since 2019, there have been 29 suspected overdose deaths and 120 naloxone administrations in Somerset County, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Residents can visit knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org to view video from the Somerset Hills event and prior events. The website also features information on scheduled town halls, videos 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 5^th Grade Parent Alert.

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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.

About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of 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