Parents Club/Club de Padres
Town Hall Meeting – Marijuana Legislation
Union County Fights Back Against the Opioid Crisis with Free Narcan Trainings to be Held In Roselle
ROSELLE/ROSELLE PARK, NJ – It’s no secret that Union County is in the midst of an opioid crisis. According to the latest data by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, there have been 267 overdoses and 79 overdose fatalities in Union County. These high numbers of overdoses and fatalities are why establishing Narcan training’s to Roselle and Roselle Park residents and all of Union County is so important, says representatives from Prevention Links and Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Two free Narcan training sessions will be held on Feb 7, and March 7, at Prevention Links – located at 121 Chestnut St., Roselle. The first 25 People to arrive will receive a free Narcan Kit.
The effectiveness of providing Narcan training and distribution of Narcan kits is shown evident by research published in August of 2018, by the Journal of Public Health, which details how Narcan is the most significant intervention to reduce fatalities from opioid abuse.* Simply put, being trained and having access to Narcan will save the lives of many. This is why these two organizations say it is so important to provide training sessions throughout Union County for everyone.
Narcan deployments and overdose fatalities substantially increase during the winter seasons. while it is not known why these events occur, data from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office shows a correlation between overdoses and the winter season. Due to these events, the Union County Opioid Task Force and Prevention Links have decided to come up with a strategy to reduce the fatalities caused by the opioid epidemic in Union County, which is to provide free Narcan kits & training sessions to many community members in Union County for the winter months of 2019.
This approach can help save the lives of loved ones, friends, neighbors, and community members.
Other training events in Union County for 2019 are as follows:
December 4 – Rahway Recreation Center- 275 E. Milton Ave., Rahway
January 8 – Summit Oaks-19 Prospect St, Summit
January 17 – Cranford Community Center-220 Walnut Ave., Cranford
Jan 29 – Connecticut Farms Church- 888 Stuyvesant Ave, Union
February 1 – St. Joseph’s Social Service Center- 118 Division St. Elizabeth
February 7 – Prevention Links- 121 Chestnut St., Roselle
February 12 – Rahway Recreation Center- 275 E Milton Ave, Rahway,
February 19 – Organization For Recovery- 519 North Ave,
February 21- RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center -2120 Lamberts Mill Rd, Scotch Plains
Feb. 26 – Connecticut Farms Church- 888 Stuyvesant Ave. Union
March 1 – St. Joseph’s Social Service Center- 118 Division St. Elizabeth March 7 – Prevention Links- 121 Chestnut St. Roselle
March 12 – Summit Oaks- 19 Prospect St. Summit.
March 14 – Rahway Recreation Center- 275 E. Milton Ave. Rahway
March 21 – RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center-2120 Lamberts Mill Rd, Scotch Plains
March 27 – Springfield Township- *Location in Progress *
All training sessions are free and the first 25 people to arrive will receive a free Narcan kit. Training sessions begin at 6 p.m. (11 AM for February 1, and March 1, training sessions in Elizabeth.)
No registration is necessary. If you have any questions or concerns contact Sean Foley at sfoley@preventionlinks.org.
Source: TAPintoRoselle.net is Roselle’s official electronic news source! To get your free daily Roselle or Roselle Park news, click on your town.
Roselle’s Prevention Links Holds Annual Drug Prevention Walk
CRANFORD, NJ – #Everyoneknowssomeone was the theme of this year’s Annual Union County Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk in Nomahegan Park.
The walk coordinated and hosted by Prevention Links and the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders was held this past Saturday with people coming from all over the county to participate.
The walk began at 10 a.m. and was followed by the Red Ribbon Free Family Fun Day, a celebration that featured games, music, pony rides, and more.
This many organizations all over New Jersey participated in the event.
“We are proud to be here and support this event,” said Helen Quesada, Coordinator for the Roselle Everett Hatcher Prevention Coalition. “It’s true, almost everyone knows someone, and that is why we all have to work together to educate as many people as possible so we can stop drug abuse from happening in our communities.”
Roselle Takes to the Streets to Mobilize Around Opioid Abuse
ROSELLE, NJ – As the opioid epidemic ravages New Jersey and the greater United States, reducing overdoses, drug-related crime and overall harm caused by opioids starts with small communities, where the impact of addiction hits hardest. The Roselle Everett Hatcher Prevention Coalition’s (REHPC) participation in the statewide “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day,” now in its third year, is one such initiative that boroughs and townships across NJ hope will quell the scourge of drug abuse.
REHPC, an organization aiming to inform, connect and bring awareness about drug abuse to Roselle, works with the state to maintain a prevention-focused infrastructure that addresses the rising toll of drug abuse. Roselle Mayor Christine Dansereau, Department of Children and Families Coordinator Hellen Quesada and Matt Birchenough, media coordinator for Drug-Free New Jersey, lead about a dozen Abraham Clark High School students throughout the borough to disseminate literature and raise awareness about opioids.
“I don’t have a personal experience with opioid abuse, but my soccer coach has talked about past players who were affected and got really messed up in the long run,” said 16-year-old Darren Newell. “This is a great way to help out the community and let people know what they’re getting their hands into if they choose to use opioids.”
In 2016, opioid-related deaths in NJ spiked to 16 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse — 20.3 percent more than the national average. NJ Cares, a real-time dashboard of opioid-related data and information under the Department of Law and Public Safety, estimates 95 suspected overdose deaths in Union County alone in 2018, as well as 528 administrations of the overdose-reversing medication Nalaxone.
“Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day,” organized by the Partnership for A Drug-Free New Jersey and the Community Coalition for a Safe & Health Morris, takes place every October 6 in cooperation with the NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The state’s prevention and treatment communities, local leaders and concerned citizens mobilize to educate the public about the link between prescription medications and illegal opioids.
“I was really impressed by the number of students and people mobilizing around this issue in Roselle. It’s not the easiest thing getting teenagers to do something like this on a Saturday morning,” Birchenough said. “This is an issue that affects people across all age groups, races and income levels — it’s important that local communities get involved and spread awareness about the dangers of these drugs.”
Roselle is one of the fortunate New Jersey municipalities that receives $125,000 a year in funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration until 2021, according to Dansereau. It uses the grant to strengthen REHPC, encourage community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use and implement environmental strategies aimed at the reduction of marijuana and opioid use.
“This has been an ongoing journey — Roselle has always been about educating to make sure our community is as healthy as possible and aware of the dangers of any kind of addictive drug,” Dansereau added, “I’ve spoken to many people as mayor who have shared with me what a challenging journey it has been to find support in order to go into recovery. We need a lot more help for people that are already addicted, and part of that is prevention. No one sets out to become an addict.”
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Hidden in Plain Sight
Join us on February 22, 2018 at St. Joseph the Carpenter School, 140 3rd Ave., for “Hidden in Plain Sight,” a program of the Drug Enforcement Administration presented in collaboration with Roselle Everett Hatcher Prevention Coalition and Prevention links. This event will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This exhibit and presentation is centered around a teenager’s bedroom that is displayed to allow parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers and other adults an opportunity to explore a teenager’s bedroom to see and identify drug paraphernalia, hiding places and other signs that may indicate alcohol or other drug use by a teen.
TAPinto Roselle
TAPinto Roselle is the communities local online news. The site is owned by Publisher Kathy Lloyd who has lived in Roselle for over 24 years and is very involved in the community. Ms. Lloyd owns a her own non profit Roselle 24/7, dedicated to providing outreach and information to the residents of Roselle. She was also chosen as one of Union Counties “Woman of Excellence” in Media.
Ms. Lloyd is Media Sector Representative for REHPC. She is currently working with the parents and the youth coalitions to create marketing movements like…
- Peer-led social marketing campaigns to increase perception of risk related to marijuana.
- Focused media campaigns to increase awareness related to the importance of monitoring and disposal of Rx Drugs as well as increase participation in permanent and mobile collection sites
Roselle Community Forum – “Hidden in Plain Sight” to be Held at Abraham Clark H.S.
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roselle-roselle-park/sections/community-announcements/articles/roselle-community-forum-hidden-in-plain-sightUnion County Residents Walk for Recovery at 19th Annual Union County Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roselle-roselle-park/articles/union-county-residents-walk-for-recovery-at-19thDo You Know What to Look for in Your Teens Room? See What You Don’t Know, It May Just Save Your Childs Life
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roselle-roselle-park/articles/do-you-know-what-to-look-for-in-your-teens-room
The Roselle Community Takes to the Streets to Knock Out Opioid Abuse
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roselle-roselle-park/articles/the-roselle-community-takes-to-the-streets-to-kno
About CADCA
The mission of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally. This is accomplished by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, training and special events.
About SAMHSA
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.