SAN DIEGO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Jersey provides guidance and funding to a large number of community-based associations that are dedicated to addiction treatment and prevention. HeroinDetoxClinics.com notes that cities throughout NJ are home to many treatment centers and support groups. Ocean County, a county in New Jersey with one of the highest number of deaths related to drug overdose, now have access to assistance and funding from federal and state agencies to fight drug trafficking.

Sixteen other counties were included in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), a program made by Congress to provide assistance to state, county, local and federal law enforcement organizations in places that are classified as critical drug-trafficking areas in the US. The program allows local enforcement officials in Ocean County to access intelligence networks throughout the state.

In 2016, Ocean County had over 200 overdose-related deaths. The county recorded 157 heroin-related deaths in 2015. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said that the opioid epidemic continues to tear communities and families apart. According to him, implementing an all-hands-on-deck approach that includes medical professionals, treatment providers and law enforcement is the key to finding a long-term solution to this crisis. Ocean County’s designation will improve coordination among all government levels and give the county access to federal resources.

US Representative Tom MacArthur said that the assistance from the program will help law implementation save loved ones. He said that local law enforcement officials need help to stop drugs from being supplied to the communities. The designation will ensure that Ocean County’s police officers will have the resources and assistance they need.

Twenty-eight areas currently have a HIDTA designation in U.S. Virgin Islands, in Puerto Rico and across the country. Richard Baum, National Drug Control Policy’s acting director, said that drug trafficking is a nationwide issue that should be dealt with on the local level. Including these counties in the HIDTA program is an important part of this effort. According to Baum, sixteen counties across thirteen states were recently included in the HIDTA network. Oneida County and Montgomery County were added to the program.

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said that being part of HIDTA gives Ocean County another tool in NJ’s battle against opioids. Ocean County is the center of a growing opioid epidemic plaguing the state and its designation will give the county access to federal resources to help them save lives from the danger of heroin and opioid overdose. According to US Representative Chris Smith (R-Ocean), Ocean County’s designation in HIDTA is an important step to getting drug dealers and drugs off the streets. Smith said that the opioid epidemic is not an issue that can be solved by one agency. All law enforcement levels have to work together to solve this problem and save lives.

The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) in New Jersey leads statewide drug treatment and prevention efforts. It develops, coordinates and supports addiction and mental health services across NJ. DMHAS provides funding for different treatment programs and addiction treatment centers in NJ as well as evaluates standards for programs across the state. DMHAS supervises several addiction and mental health service endeavors, including education, early treatment, prevention and recovery. It runs the Ann Klein Forensic Center, three regional hospitals and four psychiatric hospitals. DMHAS also oversees a psychiatric hospital that can accommodate 200 patients with mental disorders in the criminal justice system.

Addiction treatment laws in New Jersey are being implemented in the state to give individuals with opioid addiction a chance to seek treatment and start a new life. For instance, the Life-Saving Drug Addiction Reform Law makes NJ the only state where people with insurance are given coverage and can’t be charged for six months of addiction treatment. 

Author: William Leonard
Organization: Heroin Detox Clinics
Address: 27420 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590
Phone: 888-325-2454

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