Religious Leaders Gather to Address NJ's Opiate Abuse Epidemic

Lawrence Township, NJ – Turning to a faith leader to help address substance abuse addiction in a loved one is often the first step for a family and Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) recently coordinated a free training to provide resources and information to those leaders.

The Faith Based Do No Harm Symposium was held May 12, 2016. The symposium was sponsored by PDFNJ, the Drug-Enforcement Administration-New Jersey Division, Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (MCADA) and the Mercer County Prevention Coalition (MCPC).

The event geared toward developing solutions to the opiate epidemic plaguing our state was attended by faith leaders from throughout Mercer County who were encouraged to get involved in the fight against opiate abuse.

“The opioid abuse problem is a plague currently threatening our communities locally and nationally. The Do No Harm symposium stressed that this is not a problem that can be solved by any one entity,” said Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA – New Jersey Division.

“Faith-based leaders and officials are valuable resources to use their role to raise awareness in order to prevent substance abuse, to provide assistance those suffering from substance abuse and their families, and to reduce stigma – particularly during this epidemic of opiate abuse here in New Jersey, said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ.

"I'm so pleased to see the faith community's willingness to take an active role in helping to provide support and resources for individuals and families in crisis, particularly during this opiate epidemic,” said Barbara Sprechman, Prevention Coalition Coordinator for MCADA and MCPC.

“This event is an important step towards educating and empowering faith leaders as they are a vital sector of our communities,” Sprechman said.

“This symposium is aimed at educating the religious community about this deadly epidemic and providing resources and information for them to assist the families in their congregations. Our objective is to better equip our religious community leaders to handle the opiate abuse epidemic in their congregations so we can educate, prevent and save more lives,” said Valente

Topics that were addressed at the Do No Harm Symposium were the current trends in substance abuse afflicting New Jersey families, the dynamic of addiction and how to prevent substance abuse, resources and information to assist those suffering from addiction, and key steps in supporting long-term recovery.

For more information on the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, visit http://www.drugfreenj.org.