Keeping Camden County Residents Informed
Fall 2016
Ending the Stigma and Saving Lives Camden County’s Addiction Awareness Task Force Formed in 2014 by the Camden County Board of Freeholders, the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force has been working to increase community awareness and end the stigma surrounding heroin and prescription drug abuse. Educating the public about the devastating effects of this widespread problem, the Task Force has implemented programs that seek to effectively prevent or reduce the demand for these substances – ultimately saving lives.
in purple for Overdose Awareness Day on August 31; the inaugural Annual Recovery Softball Tournament at Campbell’s Field on September 30; a Community Addiction Workshop for Parents and Students on October 6 at the Cherry Hill Public Library; and a third Overdose Remembrance Candlelight Vigil held at Timber Creek Park on October 8. The candlelight vigils are a somber reminder that the disease of addiction does not discriminate.
Understanding the importance of education, the Task Force’s aggressive awareness campaign, “HEROIN. PILLS. IT ALL KILLS…,” was designed to provide residents information they need to take action, whether in their own families or community. Spreading the word through billboards, awareness events, online and print advertising, the Task Force also provides communication tool kits for local communities to use in their own prevention efforts.
“It is essential that we foster and maintain an active dialogue in all facets of the community,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “No one is immune to the effects of opiate addiction and we all have to work together to battle addiction.”
Other awareness efforts this year have included the lighting of Camden City Hall
The Task Force has also partnered with local police departments to further address the issue, providing medication drop boxes and expanding prescription take back programs to 22 permanent locations. Confidential information sessions and training in the administration of Narcan (an emergency opiate antidote) have been provided to residents. These trainings are intended to help citizens prevent the deaths of loved ones who have overdosed. Hundreds of Narcan kits have also been distributed to assist with this effort. In addition to public outreach programs, law enforcement agencies are now equipped with Narcan, and “Operation S.A.L.” (Save A Life) has been implemented to offer anyone
Camden County employees wear purple for Overdose Awareness Day
saved with Narcan by police or first responders a “warm handoff” to an outpatient detox facility. Those who participate are offered intensive outpatient treatment, and/ or inpatient care when it is available. For more information about these life-saving programs, visit addictions.camdencounty.com
In This Issue Camden County College: Bridging the Gap of College Costs Employment Assistance for All Get Involved with our Town Halls Events Calendar Park Improvements Update Library System is “On the Move” Veterans Matter in Camden County Animal Alliance of Camden County Public Works at Work Flu Shots Camden County’s Own “Field of Dreams” Cooper House is Open!