“Putting a Face on Addiction”
On June 18, 2013 Freeholder Kristine Gabor sent a letter to the residents of Cape May County calling for a unified approach for dealing with the rising Heroin use in Cape May County. To date, Freeholder Gabor has received a number of responses to her plea for residents to join the effort to fight drug abuse and share their concerns and experiences. She has heard from individuals who have battled addiction themselves, those who have a family member or friend who are addicts and from people who have lost a loved one from a drug overdose. Freeholder Gabor said, “The responses I have received have reinforced my concern that the problem has had a profound effect on so many people in our county. Prescription drug and heroin addiction shatter families and communities. I believe we must band together to get the message out.”
Taking the first step….On Thursday, September 5, 2013, Freeholder Gabor will host a family information session, “Putting a Face on Addiction”. The public forum will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the County Administration Building located at 4 Moore Road (in the Crest Haven Complex, exit 11 off the Garden State Parkway), Cape May Court House, New Jersey. The purpose of this initial program is to start the dialogue about drug addiction problems in the county and how we can all help. The program will include first-hand accounts from those battling addiction and mothers who have lost their children to addiction plus support groups and resources available in the county. Freeholder Gabor added, “We hope to provide information and resources to those struggling but at the same time hear from them as to what we can do better to help those struggling with addiction.”
Cape May County ranks in the top five for both alcohol and drug-related arrests and treatment admissions, according to the Department of Human Services’ New Jersey Chart book of Substance Abuse Related Social Indicators. The increase in treatment admissions for heroin and other opiates in Cape May County has more than doubled since 2006, which is higher than all but two counties. Statewide, the number of people seeking treatment for opiate addiction, which is often a precursor to heroin, increased by 12 percent from 2010 to 2011. Last year, New Jersey averaged more than one death to heroin per day and many news reports show that those numbers are trending further in the wrong direction this year.
The county continues to work with the region’s top professionals in law enforcement, education, substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals, as well as healthcare to implement a plan to attack this life threatening problem. The county is interested in hearing directly from families who have been devastated by addiction so they can help spare others from the same fate. Additionally, those who have been able to overcome and reclaim their life can provide us with the most valuable input and help us all recover from this epidemic. All of these entities and the general public are invited to join us on September 5th as we begin the journey to recovery in Cape May County.
Residents can send their concerns and experiences to Freeholder Gabor at gabor@co.cape-may.nj.us. For more information about the forum on September 5th, call 463-6678.
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Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
