Susan Bloom, Correspondent11:57 a.m. EDT April 22, 2016

Mary Pat Christie and other community leaders unite to combat heroin/opiate epidemic

BERNARDSVILLE - On Thursday evening, 150 concerned citizens, community stakeholders, government agencies, medical practitioners and representatives of religious institutions joined forces at the Bernards Inn to support a fundraiser for Community in Crisis, a 2-year-old coalition designed to address the epidemic of prescription pill, heroin and opiate use and addiction in the community.

'Helping people and saving lives'

Pledging both her support as well as that of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was first lady Mary Pat Christie, who delivered the event’s keynote address.

“Addiction is a disease that no one should be ashamed of and we hope to increase the focus on treatment and recovery and reduce the stigma surrounding the topic,” Christie said.

She discussed several of the initiatives that New Jersey has championed to help reduce the prevalence and fallout of substance abuse and addiction, including implementation of a statewide prescription monitoring database to prevent the incidence of "doctor shopping" and prescription abuse as well as the establishment of dedicated drug courts, which she said treated over 5,000 participants in 2015 and will soon be in place in all 21 counties within the state.

“We’re driving a re-entry program for former addicts to ensure that they have the support they need to reclaim their lives and thrive in the workplace,” she said, “and have also expanded the use of Narcan throughout New Jersey,” adding that the governor recently commemorated the second anniversary of the opiate antidote’s use in New Jersey — which has so far been employed 11,000 times in the state — by visiting a Narcan center in Hoboken.

READ: Hunterdon County waging fight against heroin addiction

READ: Somerset County prosecutor says fighting drug abuse is top priority

READ: Heroin discussion to focus on risk to kids

READ: Opinion: Over-prescribing painkillers fuels heroin rise

For an epidemic that exists not just locally but across the nation, “we’re proud to see how far we’ve come in addressing substance disorders through our progressive programs and are also proud to share our ideas and best practices with other states,” Christie said. “It’s about helping people and saving lives.”

Speaker Michael Robertson, acting Somerset County prosecutor and a native of Basking Ridge, shared support for Christie’s messages.

“We’re not going to arrest our way out of this problem,” Robertson said of the ineffective cycle of arresting and re-arresting drug offenders. “We need to get out in front of this issue and talk to our communities and especially to our kids. We’re tired of hearing about members of our community dying. We hope to save lives instead of losing them.”

In one of the evening’s most personal appeals, program speaker Elaine Pozycki, co-chair, Board of Trustees for the Partnership for a Drug-Free NJ, shared poignant memories of her son, Steven, who became addicted to opiates and eventually heroin after originally being prescribed oxycontin for shoulder injuries as a teen. Despite stints in rehab, he died of an overdose at 32.

“The pain of losing him is unbearable,” said Pozycki, who discussed the chemistry of opiates and heroin on the body and how the proven physiological damage they do to the portions of the brain associated with learning, memory and emotional well-being can make it that much more difficult for victims to break the cycle of addiction.

“Opiate addiction was something Steven couldn’t fight. It was bigger and stronger than our love for him,” said Pozycki, who warned audience members of the current over-prescription of prescription pain medication and its contribution to “ruined lives and avoidable death.”

Epidemic of devastating proportion

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdose (largely driven by prescription drug/opiate use today) is currently the number one cause of accidental death in the U.S., with one death occurring every 24 minutes. It’s also a devastating epidemic that disproportionately affects 18- to 25-year-olds, with CDC studies reporting that one in four teenagers has used prescription drugs to get high.

On the heels of one of the nation’s most virulent scourges and following the overdose deaths just two days apart of two graduates of Ridge High School in Basking Ridge in 2013, Community in Crisis was coalesced to combat prescription pill and heroin/opiate use through resources, education and support.

Composed of physicians, nurses, parents, elected officials, police and EMT, psychiatric therapists, teachers and attorneys and with support from the Somerset Hills YMCA and other champions, the volunteer group has worked to create a community united in fighting the heroin/opiate crisis, reducing the stigma of addiction, and preventing overdose deaths.

Among the group’s activities and accomplishments have been support for the training in and implementation of Narcan for local first responders, legislative lobbying for the Physician Monitoring Program, presentations on the issue to a variety of target audiences, and the creation of a range of educational materials on the topic.  According to event organizers, Thursday evening’s fundraiser hoped to raise $30,000 for the cause.

Referencing four overdose deaths that have occurred in the Somerset Hills area in the past six weeks, Community in Crisis Co-Leader Jody D’Agostini noted that “the majority of those affected range in age from 18 to 28. These are young adults in the prime of their lives who are dying and there are countless others struggling with addiction. We shouldn’t sit by watching what the CDC calls the number one health epidemic facing the nation.”

“By focusing on one task at a time, doggedly plodding on, and remaining steadfast, there’s an opportunity for cultural change where the stigma of addiction is stripped away, resources for victims of addiction are accessible, and overdose deaths decrease and hopefully end,” Community in Crisis Co-Leader Andi Williams said of the group’s multifaceted objectives. “We’re in this for the long haul and are united by a common goal to save lives.”

For more information on becoming a member of or donating to Community in Crisis, visit www.communityincrisis.org.