Wayne Parents, Students Invited To Upcoming Anti-Drug Forum

WAYNE, NJ — Continued education about drug trends and dangers is key to curbing drug use among Wayne Schools students and in the community, said officials in announcing the next Community Forum on teen drug use.

The annual discussion will include updated information on opiate and prescription drug abuse in Wayne and around New Jersey, said Mayor Christopher P. Vergano and Superintendent Dr. Mark Toback.

The program, which is entitled “The First Choice & A Second Chance,” will take place the first week of May.

Vergano and Toback invite parents, guardians, and students in middle school-high school to the event. Vergano said teen drug use is “the most important issue facing the young population of our community.”

"The Superintendent and I believe that effective communication and education can help Township residents to overcome this most challenging issue," Vergano said.

Motivational speaker and recovery coach Stephen Hill will share his own journey with addiction at the event, and a question and answer session will follow the presentation.

This year’s Community Forum is Wednesday, May 3 from 6-9 p.m. A complimentary dinner will be served at the event, held at The Cosmopolitan (1377 NJ-23, Wayne NJ).

The event is sponsored by the Wayne Education Association and the Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse this year, Vergano and Toback said.

The community forums on teen drug use in Wayne began in 2013, according to previous Patch reporting.