FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2024
Contacts: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Initiative Kicks Off at Don Bosco Prep
 

RAMSEY, NJ — Student-athletes at Don Bosco Prep are set to receive crucial education on the risks of prescription opioids from a quarterback with first-hand knowledge of its devastating impact.

Former NFL player and New Jersey native Ray Lucas will headline the first of 10 events of the renewed Knock Out Opioid Abuse program, organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in collaboration with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).  The program will take place at Don Bosco Prep at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1.

This initiative aims to engage high school students and educate them about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health. The events will be scheduled at schools throughout the state during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.

“High school athletes are particularly vulnerable to opioid misuse, often due to injuries that require pain management,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “This program aims to give students the knowledge they need to make safe choices.”

Lucas, a former standout quarterback at Rutgers who enjoyed an eight-year career in the NFL, will share insights from his battle with opioid misuse, which began following his professional playing days, and his journey to recovery. Lucas has spoken candidly about his struggles and focuses on empowering youth to make informed decisions about prescription medications.

“Horizon is proud to continue our work with the Partnership on our next chapter of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative,” said Jonathan Pearson, Executive Director at The Horizon Foundation. “Through the powerful voice of Ray Lucas and our collaboration with the NJSIAA, we will be able to bring the awareness message to teen students at New Jersey school settings where they learn, play sports and socialize.”

Student-athletes have a higher risk of opioid use, often due to injuries requiring medical attention. In a recent 12-month survey by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 12 percent of male athletes and 8 percent of female athletes had used prescription opioids. A Monitoring the Future survey also has found that adolescent participants in high-injury sports had 50 percent higher odds of nonmedical use of prescription opioids than adolescents who did not participate in these types of sports. According to NJ CARES, there were 2,564 suspected overdose deaths in 2023, and in Bergan County, there were 130 suspected drug-related deaths.

Supported through grants by Horizon’s philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative is now in its fourth phase.  The initiative began with the Town Hall Series held for all 21 New Jersey counties in 2017 and 2018. The program expanded in 2019 and 2020 to include a prescriber education webinar, as well as parent education through PDFNJ’s 5th Grade Parent Alert and community outreach via a statewide awareness public service campaign. The second phase also included community town halls, which were interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic and held as webinars in the spring and fall of 2020. The third phase of the partnership focused on student-athletes and featured NJSIAA in a collaborative role. Lucas served as the keynote speaker at 10 events throughout the state.

For more information, please visit https://knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org/.

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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 $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 226 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

About the NJSIAA: Established in 1918, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is a voluntary, non-profit organization comprised of 436 accredited public and non-public high schools. A member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, the NJSIAA conducts tournaments and crowns champions in 33 sports. Championship competition for girls is sponsored in basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, outdoor track, winter track, volleyball, and wrestling. Boys’ championships are determined in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, outdoor track, winter track, volleyball, and wrestling.