Experts To Discuss Opioid Misuse Impact In A Webinar

Experts To Discuss Opioid Misuse Impact In A Webinar

Introduction

National medical professionals will talk about the implications of opioid abuse and addiction that go beyond the impacts on the users' physical and mental health.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA) will make the choice in the upcoming lesson of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series.

According to PDFNJ Executive Director, opioid use, abuse, and addiction can have effects on those who are not using drugs or alcohol and who are not focused on their own health and well-being. This webinar will provide you crucial knowledge on the long-term effects of opioid abuse and addiction as well as what you can do to stop them.

The webinar will be the fourth in the learning series for 2023's Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day. This year's Learning Series will cover a wide range of topics related to the opioid epidemic, including educating families about proper opioid use and potential misuse, opioid alternatives for youths through seniors, the rise of polysubstance use, and the intersection of race, culture, and the opioid epidemic. PDFNJ will be working with OEFA and NJ CARES to carry out this year's Learning Series. NJ CARES is in charge of overseeing addiction-fighting efforts across the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series was launched in 2020 to inform New Jersey people on the several facets of the opioid crisis and its effects on the state and the country. It is a part of PDFNJ's statewide campaign, Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, which has been observed every year on October 6 since 2016 in order to inform citizens and prescribers about the dangers of prescription opioids and to increase awareness of the opioid issue in the state.

The 2022 Learning Series offered 12 webinars with different presenters covering all facets of the opioid crisis, with a total audience of more than 8,000 viewers. According to NJ CARES statistics, there were probably 2,900 drug overdose deaths in New Jersey in 2022. These overdose deaths featured opioids in a significant percentage of cases, including heroin, prescription medications, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl.