FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2020

Contact: Natalie Golub, 973-382-4560, natalie@drugfreenj.org

Newton Community Knock Out Opioid Abuse Virtual Town Hall to Address Ongoing Opioid Epidemic

MILLBURN, NJ — Hear from local experts to discuss the opioid epidemic’s impact on the community and seek possible solutions at the Newton Knock Out Opioid Abuse Virtual Town Hall, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ).

The Newton Virtual Town Hall will examine the nature of the opioid crisis in the community and what actions are being taken to address it. The event will be held from 10 a.m. on. Wednesday, September 30.  To register, please click here.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, through its philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is collaborating with PDFNJ on a two-year Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative to address the opioid epidemic through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide awareness campaign. The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series brings experts on the opioid epidemic from various fields, including law enforcement, the medical community, government, prevention, treatment and recovery together for events in communities in all 21 New Jersey counties.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic all of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiatives are being held virtually.

Panelist at the Newton Virtual Town Hall will include:

• Dr. Suvid Chaudhari, Medical Director, Emergency Department, Newton and Hackettstown Medical Centers
• Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch
• Tina Aue, Director of Prevention Services at the Center for Prevention and Counseling
• Katie Calvacca, Recovery Support Coordinator, The Center for Prevention and Counseling; Recovery Coach with the Sussex County CLEAR Program
• Reverend Robert Griner, Christ Episcopal Church

Sussex County Freeholder Sylvia Petillo and Sussex County Municipal Alliance Coordinator Nick Loizzi also will deliver remarks for the town hall.

“The pandemic is having a profound effect on the opioid epidemic,” said PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente. “These trying times have made it more important than ever that we address these issues with a dynamic approach in which community leaders, medical professionals, law enforcement, and other members of our communities must work together to resolve this public health crisis.”

The town hall is being held in collaboration with Atlantic Health System and the Center for Prevention & Counseling.

For more information about the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiatives, please visit knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org. The website features information on upcoming, as well as, past webinars, virtual 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 180 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 3.4 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