FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2023

Contact: Matt Birchenough, 201-916-1032, matt@drugfreenj.org

New Jersey Residents Prepare to Share Lifesaving Information About Opioids for Annual Statewide Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day

MILLBURN, NJ — Residents from communities throughout New Jersey members will mobilize in one month to address the opioid epidemic ravaging the state as part of the eighth annual statewide Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, held on October 6 since 2016, helps to inform New Jersey residents about the opioid crisis through a mobilization effort with a dual focus: educating health care professionals and raising awareness among New Jersey residents and families. It is designed to guide residents, healthcare professionals and community leaders about the risks or prescription opioids and how they can prevent opioid use and misuse.

In 2022, nearly 3,000 people in New Jersey died of a drug overdose, a majority of which involved some form of opioid. These deaths include those who overdosed on heroin, prescription opioids and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.

“Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day is an important opportunity to educate New Jersey residents about the opioid epidemic and how they can keep their families, friends and neighbors safe,” said Angelo M. Valente, executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day is a project of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, in cooperation with the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services; and the Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris, with help from thousands of participants across the state. The New Jersey Senate and General Assembly has supported the event, unanimously approving joint legislation designating October 6 as Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day in New Jersey, which was signed by Governor Phil Murphy.

In past years, outreach efforts have included delivering literature door-to-door, sharing materials at community events, spreading information through social media and emails and many other methods.

The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series, founded in 2020, also provides a way for state residents to learn from experts on various aspects of the opioid epidemic. A webinar will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 6, titled “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day: An Update from NIDA.” It will feature Dr. Wilson M. Compton, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health.

Resources and more information on Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day are available at knockoutday.drugfreenj.org.

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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 $200 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 217 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.