Webinar to Commemorate Statewide Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day

/EIN News/ -- Millburn, NJ, Sept. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ninth webinar in the 2024 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will outline the latest developments in the nationwide opioid epidemic. This educational event, a collaboration of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA), is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 3.

The webinar, "Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day: Looking Back & Looking Ahead," will feature Christopher M. Jones, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Jones will discuss recent trends in the opioid crisis as well as resources and actions available to help communities tackle this epidemic.

The webinar will highlight PDFNJ’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day statewide initiative, which has been held annually on October 6 since 2016 to educate residents and prescribers on the risks of prescription opioids and to raise awareness of the opioid crisis throughout the state.

“Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day plays a pivotal role in raising awareness and educating the residents of New Jersey about the critical opioid issues we face today,” said PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente. “This webinar is a valuable opportunity for individuals to deepen their understanding of the epidemic and learn how they can contribute to meaningful change within their communities.”

In accordance with the mission of Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, the webinar will provide the general public and medical professionals with valuable education on recent developments in the opioid epidemic. The following professions will be able to obtain continuing education credit by participating in the webinar: physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, athletic trainers, certified health education specialists, social workers (approval pending), optometrists (approval pending) and EMTs (New Jersey-certified only).

The Learning Series has grown each year since it was created in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with attendance reaching nearly 10,000 in 2023. Participants have learned from experts from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including representatives of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the New Jersey Department of Health, the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as many universities and state and local organizations involved in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Speakers have included New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Regional Director Dr. Dara Kass and award-winning author Sam Quinones.

In 2023, there were 2,564 suspected overdose deaths in New Jersey, with the majority linked to some form of opioid. The epidemic continues to take its toll through the use of heroin, prescription opioids, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

To learn more about Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day and for a schedule of webinars, please visit knockoutday.drugfreenj.org

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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Lisa Batitto
                    Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
                    news@drugfreenj.org