Opioid Epidemic Town Hall Will Address Crisis In Bayshore Area

HAZLET, NJ - Local government, law enforcement and school officials are slated to discuss the ongoing opioid epidemic in Bayshore communities on Thursday, Oct. 8 at a virtual town hall.

Sponsored by the Hazlet Alliance and Hazlet Hope, the conference will begin at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Interested participants can register here.

Speakers will discuss how the epidemic manifests in Raritan Bay municipalities and how locals can help to address and combat the crisis.

Guests include:

• Monmouth County Freeholder Sue Kiley
• Philip O'Hara, an individual in recovery
• Ellen Edwards, a parent who lost a child to an overdose
• Stephanie M. Reynolds, D.O., an emergency medicine physician at Hackensack Meridian Health
• Hazlet School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Ridley
• Hazlet Police Chief Ted Wittke

The town hall was previously scheduled for March, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a municipal notice.

Free virtual training for administering Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug, is offered every Tuesday and Wednesday through JSAS Healthcare. All attendees receive a treatment voucher for 30 days of free substance abuse treatment at JSAS Healthcare, Inc. to use or distribute to any person that needs medication-assisted treatment.

For more information, contact Diane Villari at dvillari@jsashealthcare.org.

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