Sheriff Golden Addresses the Heroin Epidemic

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Sheriff’s Office Enlists Students In Heroin Epidemic Fight

Sheriff Golden moderates group with students

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden launched a forum to prevent opiate abuse with students from area colleges and high schools yesterday, the Student Ambassadors For Heroin Use Prevention. The first program of its kind in the state of New Jersey, the ongoing program will bridge students and leaders of various agencies together, to address opiate addiction.

“Law enforcement, educational and behavioral healthcare professionals can’t combat this problem alone,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that our adolescents and young adults, along with the professionals, work together to provide new and innovative approaches, strategies and solutions. Through this initiative we hope to inhibit the wave of opiate use, addiction and related deaths.”

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O’Scanlon: Addiction is akin to slow motion suicide

“It is tragic that the best advice one might give an addict begging for treatment is to get arrested.”

By Declan O’Scanlon

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

There are many issues and challenges we face as a society that are ripe for spirited political debate.  Addiction isn’t one of them. Governor Christie’s position that we must treat addiction as something other than a crime is exactly correct.  Addiction – whether you buy the disease designation or not – is for some people a virtually irresistible, destructive force that compels the addict’s cooperation in his own destruction.  That concept can be a difficult one to reconcile for those who have had the good fortune not to have battled addiction – their own or a family member’s. Unfortunately, that pool of lucky people is dwindling as the heroin epidemic continues to voraciously march through our streets and schools.  Alcohol, while not the substance of the moment, continues its incessant march.

There is room for debate about exactly what addiction is.  Cancer is unquestionably a disease – seeming to have a mind of its own and an unrelenting mission no matter the intentions or actions of its victims.  Addiction, in many ways, is much more complicated.  It is a condition whose progression depends on the direct, intentional participation of the afflicted.  The fact that the addicted are complicit in their own destruction is both frustrating and confusing for all involved. It is easy for caregivers and loved ones to be sympathetic to cancer victims.  Addiction is as likely to elicit anger, blame and scorn as sympathy.

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Overdose Deaths From Heroin On The Rise In The US

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that heroin deaths have risen sharply in many US states. The findings, published in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, were developed from death certificate data from 28 states. Despite this rise, twice as many people died from prescription opioid overdoses than… Read the rest of this entry »

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Ocean Township Cops Make A Narcan Save

Bill Bucco, Acting Assistant Director of the Monmouth County Division of Addiction Services.

Two Ocean Township Police Officers saved the life of a 25 year old man late Tuesday night by administering two doses of Narcan, the antidote for heroin overdoses that New Jersey law enforcement officers have been authorized to administer since July.

Officers Randy Slawsky and Zachary Rhein of the Ocean Police Department responded to a reported overdose at an apartment located on Rustic Drive. Upon arrival, officers located a 25 year old male unresponsive in the living room of the home. A family member reported that they believed the victim had ingested heroin prior to being found unconscious.

Officers on scene administered two doses of Naloxone Hydrochloride (Narcan) resulting in the victim becoming conscious and responsive. The victim was speaking with officers immediately prior to being transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Officers and EMS personnel credit the use of the Narcan in saving the man’s life.

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