FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8. 2025

Contact: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Next Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Webinar to Focus on Responsible Opioid Prescribing

MILLBURN, NJ –The next webinar in the 2025 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will explore best practices and emerging strategies in prescribing opioids responsibly. This session, titled “Responsible Opioid Prescribing,” is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, and is presented by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA).

The webinar will feature Dr. Rebecca A. Busch, a board-certified general surgeon and surgical critical care specialist. She is also an associate professor in the Division of Acute Care and Regional General Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She will be joined by Jeffrey D. Laszczyk, a pharmacist and administrator of the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP). Panelists will provide expert insights into responsible prescribing protocols, state-level monitoring efforts, and how clinicians can balance pain management with patient safety.

“As we face evolving challenges in the opioid epidemic, responsible prescribing remains a foundational step toward prevention,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “This webinar offers vital knowledge to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped with the tools to prescribe safely.”

The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series has reached over 10,000 participants annually, providing continuing education to professionals in healthcare, behavioral health, emergency services, and community leadership. Since its launch in 2020, the series has featured national and state-level experts who bring a multidisciplinary perspective to combating opioid misuse.

The initiative is part of the broader Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day campaign, held statewide on October 6, which brings together communities and prescribers to raise awareness about the risks of opioid misuse. In 2024 alone, New Jersey saw 1,813 suspected overdose deaths, underscoring the need for sustained, inclusive outreach and education.

To register for the webinar and learn more, visit: knockoutday.drugfreenj.org

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Best known for its statewide anti-drug 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 230 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.