In the News
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patch.com/new-jersey/westfield: New 'Wave' Of Heroin Epidemic Hits New Jersey Suburbs
Posted 4/14/2016
A "second wave" of heroin abuse's effects has hit New Jersey, impacting young suburban users, according to a report.
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newjerseyhills.com: 'Community In Crisis' Fundraiser Planned in Bernardsville
Posted 4/13/2016
Elaine Pozycki, co-chair of PDFNJ, will be the keynote testimonial speaker Thursday evening, April 21, when the local Community in Crisis (CIC) organization holds its first major fund-raiser at the historic Bernards Inn in Bernardsville.
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NJ Hospital ER Leads Nation in Tackling Pain Pill Addiction
Posted 4/8/2016
If you show up at the emergency room of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, you'll have only a one-in-four chance of leaving there with a prescription for opioid pain pills.
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cbsnews.com- Fentanyl: What you need to know about the deadly opioid
Posted 4/8/2016
The powerful synthetic opiate fentanyl is making headlines, as California health officials recently attributed it to 42 overdoses and 10 deaths in the Sacramento area over just 12 days.
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PDFNJ Ex. Dir. Angelo M. Valente On Weekly News-Magazine, Issues and Ideas with Chris DeBello
Posted 4/7/2016
On Sunday, April 3, PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo M. Valente appeared on Issues and Ideas with Chris DeBello, a weekly news-magazine program which brings heads of organizations, newsmakers, and political leaders to radio listeners on a variety of topics.
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Poll: 43 Percent of Americans Say Relative or Close Friend Has Substance Use Issue
Posted 4/7/2016
A new poll finds 43 percent of Americans say they have a relative or close friend with a substance use issue, and 62 percent say at least one type of substance use is a serious problem in their community, the Associated Press reports.
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PDFNJ Ex. Dir Angelo M. Valente Appears on Fox 5/Good Day Street Talk
Posted 4/1/2016
Angelo Valente [center], along with Joel Pomales [right] Clinical Outreach Coordinator and Director of Advocacy With College Recovery, will be featured on Fox 5/Good Day Street Talk Saturday, April 2nd at 6am. They will discuss with Street Talk host, Antwan Lewis, the link between Rx drug abuse and heroin addiction along with NJ Assembly bill [A3424] that would require a conversation between a prescriber and the parents of children 18 and under who are being prescribed opiate medication. The bill would also require, when appropriate, physicians to provide non-opiate alternatives to patients.
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PDFNJ and President Obama Both Speak at National Rx Summit in Atlanta
Posted 4/1/2016
President Obama and PDFNJ both participated in the National Rx Summit held in Atlanta between March 28th and April 1st.
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NYTimes.com: Obama Steps Up U.S. Effort to Fight Abuse of Heroin and Painkillers
Posted 3/29/2016
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday will travel to Atlanta to speak at a meeting of recovering drug addicts, doctors and law enforcement officials, reinforcing his response to the nation’s spiraling prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic.
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hhnmag.com: Provocative Times Square Billboard Warns Parents Against Opioid Dangers
Posted 3/25/2016
A heroin addiction can start in the most innocent of places, not under a bridge, but in the dentist’s chair or pediatrician’s office. As noted in H&HN’s previous coverage, there is an opioid epidemic raging across the U.S., killing thousands of Americans every day. Often, doctors are prescribing pain pills like oxycodone for sports injuries, kids end up getting hooked, and when the Rx dries up, they turn to street heroin that’s stronger, cheaper and easier to obtain.