Woodbridge Is Ground Zero In Middlesex County's Opiate Battle

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Chris Kuberiet is launching several unorthodox measures to combat opiate addiction in Central Jersey, after 179 people died in Middlesex County in 2019 due to drug overdoses.

Two groundbreaking initiates will start being done this spring in three of area's towns that have the highest use of naloxone in Middlesex County, which are Woodbridge, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick. (The county tracks how often police departments have to use naloxone (Narcan) to recover a patient who overdosed, and Woodbridge is one of the towns where naloxone is most frequently used, said the county prosecutor.)

Starting this spring, police officers and peer recovery coaches will start conducting door-to-door visits to those who have been revived by Naloxone (Narcan).

Court administrators from Woodbridge, North Brunswick and now New Brunswick are also compiling a list of people arrested on drug-related charges and scheduling them for one drug court session per month in each of those towns.

On those specific court dates, defendants are initially greeted by an officer, then screened by a recovery coach and then ultimately offered treatment. The defendant then has the opportunity to accept treatment, while their case is deferred for a period of time, until the treatment is undertaken.

The Middlesex County prosecutor gives full discretion to municipal court prosecutors to dispose of matters pending against those offenders suffering from the disease of addiction at they see fit. Options can range from an outright dismissal to a significant downgrade and/or amendment of the original charges.

The grants will also pay for the launch of a 24-hour Blue Cares hotline (732-596-4199). Woodbridge residents will start seeing signs up at bus stations and elsewhere advertising the Blue Cares Hotline. There is also a Blue Cares app that allows the user to participate in a live chat with a peer recovery coach 24/7.