courierpostonline.com: SJ assemblyman wants warning labels on opioid prescriptions

2/20/2018

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NORTHFIELD - John Armato knows firsthand the impact of addiction.

That's why when the Democrat successfully ran for a 2nd District Assembly seat in 2017, doing what he could to combat the problem became a top priority.

"The disease of addiction has touched my family," said Armato, a former Buena Vista Township committeeman. "Over the years I've learned what to do to handle it, but, more importantly, I've learned what not to do." 

For Armato, an increase in education and awareness of the destructive effects of opioid abuse stands to go a long way in slowing down an epidemic that has hit this state hard in recent years. 

According the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, New Jersey saw a 43 percent increase in opioid-related deaths from 2015 to 2016, when 2,056 people died from overdoses.

"I think if you approach the disease of addiction head-on, you end up frustrated," Armato said. "You have to chip at it, and when you chip enough at it, that's when you start to see a difference." 

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