Cinnaminson Sees Rise In Reported Heroin Abuse Cases

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson saw an increase in reported heroin abuse cases from 2017 to 2018, according to data recently released by the state.

New Jersey has released its annual list of heroin-abuse cases reported by each community, revealing the most recent data of reported cases. Patch also put together a list of towns with the most heroin abuse cases per 1,000 people.

In 2018, there were 41 reported heroin abuse cases in Cinnaminson, according to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The average was 2.48 cases per 1,000 people.

The overall number was up from 2017, when 34 heroin abuse cases were reported. The reported numbers are based on the number of people seeking treatment for heroin abuse.

The state Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services have cautioned that these numbers are reported by each community, so each jurisdiction is responsible for reporting its results fairly and accurately.

Over the summer, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office expanded its Operation Helping Hand program to offer an increased level of addiction outreach to high-risk substance users in an effort to provide treatment options and support services prior to the occurrence of an overdose.

In the first round of the program, the prosecutor's office focused on overdose victims who had been revived using Narcan. In the second round, recovery specialists joined law enforcement throughout August on any call that involved someone who is battling addiction, according to the prosecutor's office. In Burlington County, charges are dropped if users decide to seek help.

Operation Helping Hand is one of three Burlington County Prosecutor's Office initiatives aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.

Operation Safe Overnight focuses on saving lives and increasing enforcement activity at hotels and motels that have experienced overdoses and drug-related criminal activity.

Through this program, with the support of Virtua Health, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office has provided Narcan to county hotels and has also trained hotel employees how to use it to reverse an overdose and save a person's life.

Straight … to Treatment is a program that allows people to walk off the street and into police stations in three municipalities to seek treatment for drug addiction, regardless of whether they are insured or live in Burlington County.

It was introduced in Evesham in early 2018 and expanded to Pemberton in September 2018 and Burlington City in April. To date, more than 150 people have been referred to treatment through the program, according to the prosecutor's office.

Throughout Burlington County, the number of reported heroin cases increased from 1,576 in 2017 to 1,709 in 2018. Read more here: NJ Towns With Most Heroin Abuse Cases: New Data 2019