The 4th Annual Overdose Awareness Day event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 31 at TD Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate.
International Opioid Overdose Awareness Day – a campaign to end drug overdose by promoting prevention and harm reduction strategies – is observed annually on Aug. 31. In recognition of this day, the Operation Helping Hand (OHH) initiatives of Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties have joined together to support individuals in recovery and to honor the lives lost to drug addiction. To help reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and encourage conversations around the issue, the four county prosecutors’ offices have joined together to show solidarity in their commitment to helping individuals and communities affected by this disease.
“On this International Overdose Awareness Day, I want to express my office’s and my personal sincere condolences to all who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses,” said Renée M. Robeson, Hunterdon County Prosecutor. “Thank you for fighting with us. Together, we can make measurable progress in reducing overdose deaths. It remains a continuing and chronic challenge, but by uniting our efforts, we can create a safer and healthier community for everyone.”
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said their office’s partnership with OHH has allowed “law enforcement to reach out to those addicted to opioids without the stigma of a criminal conviction.”
“We look forward to continuing our support of OHH and its remarkable programs,” he said.
Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said the event is not “just to mourn those we’ve lost to overdose but to fight for a future where addiction is met with help, not handcuffs.”
“OHH is about breaking the stigma and offering a lifeline to those struggling,” he said. “By working together, law enforcement, treatment providers, and the community can turn the tide on this epidemic.
“Let’s honor those we’ve lost by saving the lives of others.”
Acting Warren County Prosecutor Anthony A. Picone, said “opioid addiction and opioid overdose are tragedies, but these tragedies can be prevented.
“A key step in preventing both is raising awareness that help is available and eliminating any stigma that exists for those seeking help,” he siad. “International Overdose Awareness Day is set aside to deliver that very message.”
Picone further said “his office is proud to be a part of this event and to help deliver the message to those who need help: We are here and ready to help you.”
Somerset Patriots Vice President of Operations Bryan Iwicki said the Somerset Patriots are proud to host such an event.
“Opioid overdose touches so many people’s lives in so many different ways,” he said. “I think almost everyone knows someone that has suffered from addiction in some way, and being able to educate people on how to get help and educating others on how they can help their friends and family is so important.”
Local community partners Community in Crisis (Bernardsville), Parent to Parent Addiction Services Inc. (Washington), Prevention Links (Roselle), and Prevention Resources (Flemington) collaborated in planning the event.
On game day, Naloxone kits will be distributed through a partnership with the New Jersey State Department of Human Services. The kits are available to those in the community who are at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose and/or to those in the position to administer the opioid antidote to a person experiencing an opioid overdose.
There will be a 50/50 raffle to benefit Prevention Resources Open Door Recovery, a non-profit based in Hunterdon County. Open Door Recovery uses peer-based approaches within a safe and inclusive environment to support, empower, and provide resources to all persons in recovery from substance use. Open Door Recovery Center also aims to reduce barriers for persons in recovery by decreasing the stigma surrounding substance use disorders in the broader community. This is achieved primarily through hosting educational events, implementing community-wide stigma-free campaigns, and building key partnerships with medical practitioners and law enforcement.
Funding for the OHH program comes from a grant provided by the State of New Jersey, Department of Law & Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), which coordinates statewide addiction-fighting efforts.
In 2016, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office developed an innovative prosecutor-led program known as OHH, whereby law enforcement actively links individuals with substance use issues to treatment and/or recovery services. In 2018, the Department of Law & Public Safety expanded the Bergen County OHH model to four additional counties. Afterward, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding, OHH was extended to 17 counties. In 2019, thanks to $2.2 million in state funding, OHH became operational in all 21 counties.
Hunterdon County residents: Robeson and Chief Timothy J. Drew urge those in need of recovery services to contact OHH by calling (908) 788-1129 or visiting the Hunterdon County OHH website at https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/341/Operation-Helping-Hand to be connected to services.
Somerset County residents: McDonald and Chief Francisco Roman Jr. request that anyone seeking addiction services contact OHH by calling (908) 393-8888, visiting the Somerset County OHH website at www.bit.ly/somersetohh or emailing ohh@co.somerset.nj.us to be connected to services.
Union County residents: Daniel and Chief Harvey A. Barnwell request that anyone seeking addiction services call the OHH 24/7/365 hotline at (885) 825-3275.
Warren County residents: Picone and Chief Brent Warne urge those in need to contact Parent to Parent Addiction Services via (908) 223-1951 to be linked directly to services.
