Former governor, execs to lead opioid webinar

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In an upcoming webinar, a panel of experts will delve into the opioid crisis, specifically how it’s affecting certain populations — the LGBTQI+ community, people experiencing homelessness, and those formerly incarcerated — who have faced increased challenges from addiction and overdoses over the past decade.

The webinar, taking place at 11 a.m. May 26, is the next in the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series, presented by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator of Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES), which oversees addiction-fighting efforts across the state’s Office of the Attorney General.

The panelists will be:

• Former Gov. James McGreevey, now executive director of the New Jersey Reentry Corp.
• Barrett Young, CEO of the Rescue Mission of Trenton
• Brian McGovern, chief executive director of North Jersey Community Research

“The opioid epidemic in New Jersey has not spared any community or any type of person, regardless of their background. However, there certainly are groups in New Jersey that have been experienced an even more devastating toll during this crisis,” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente said in a statement. “This webinar will help us to understand why certain groups or individuals are more vulnerable to opioid misuse, addiction and overdose.”

According to PDFNJ, more than 3,000 people in New Jersey died from suspected drug overdoses in 2021 alone.

The webinar series, launched in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, is part of Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, which takes place on Oct. 6 each year since 2016. Learn more and register for the webinar here.