FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 5, 2026

Contact: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Webinar to Examine Substance Use
in Rural and Urban Communities

MILLBURN, NJ – The next webinar in the 2026 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will examine substance use and addiction in rural and urban communities.

The free session, “Substance Use & Addiction in Rural & Urban Communities,” will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 8. It 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).

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport will deliver opening remarks. The featured speaker is Jamey Lister, an associate professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work.

A recent study led by Lister found that New Jersey counties facing greater social challenges, including poverty, housing instability and limited transportation, consistently experienced higher overdose death rates. The research examined data from all 21 counties from 2014 to 2022, revealing persistent disparities in the impact of the opioid crisis.

“Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day brings people together across New Jersey to talk about substance use and prevention,” said Angelo M. Valente, executive director of PDFNJ. “This webinar carries that conversation forward by looking at addiction in rural and urban communities and the needs of the people who live in them.”

The Learning Series has reached more than 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 different perspectives to the discussion of opioid misuse.

The webinar takes place two days after the 11th annual Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day on October 6. The statewide observance brings together communities and prescribers to raise awareness about opioid risks and share prevention information. New Jersey recorded 1,312 suspected drug overdose deaths in 2025, a 27 percent decrease from 2024, underscoring the need to continue that work.

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 233 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.