CMCo Endured 63 Overdose Deaths in ’20, Partnership for a Drug-free New Jersey Says

COURT HOUSE – Thousands of New Jersey residents will be coming together virtually to knock out opioid abuse Oct. 6, for the state’s Sixth Annual Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.
According to a release from the Partnership for a Drug-free New Jersey, designated as a permanent day of prevention education and awareness, Knock Opioid Abuse Day is designed to shine a light on the opioid crisis impacting thousands of New Jersey residents and families. 
In 2020, 63 people in Cape May County died of a drug overdose, a majority of which involved some form of opioid. Additionally, between January and June 2021, there have been 84 naloxone administrations to reverse opioid overdoses and 25 suspected overdose deaths.
“The goal is to raise awareness of the link between prescribed opioids and heroin and fentanyl overdoses and deaths in our state, to reduce stigma and encourage support for those in recovery from substance use disorder,” stated Angelo Valente, executive director, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.
“I encourage all New Jerseyans to visit the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day website to learn more about what you can do to educate New Jersey residents and your community about the dangers associated with opioids,” Valente stated. “Taking a few moments to spread these important messages of awareness and prevention can help to save a life.”
This year’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series Webinar: How You Can Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic, at 11 a.m. Oct. 6, will feature Dr. Jamie Mells, Ph.D., lieutenant commander, U.S. Public Health Service Overdose Data to Action coordinator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In its sixth year, Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, in New Jersey, is a statewide project that is created by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ); The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services; and the Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris, with help from partners across the state.