New Jersey Addiction Resources New Jersey Addiction Resources

Drug Overdoses Increase in New Jersey
Over the years, we’ve seen what is happening to many communities across New
Jersey. There’s no doubt that New Jersey has been suffering through a
devastating drug epidemic. With addiction classified as a chronic, but treatable
brain disorder, those who are addicted cannot control their need for alcohol and
drugs despite negative consequences. Changes in the brain rapidly take hold,
and in turn, those changes create behavior changes, including physical, mental,
financial, and interpersonal consequences. New Jersey residents are not exempt
from these problematic issues, and in fact, this devastating and controversial
issue has recently reached epidemic proportions throughout the state of New
Jersey. For those that are addicted and can’t stop using, drug treatment centers
in New Jersey and out-of-state offer a solution-focused recovery approach.
For years, the drug epidemic in the state has only been getting worse. In 2016,
there were 1409 opioid-related overdose deaths in New Jersey – a rate of 16
deaths per 100,000 persons – compared to the national rate of 13.3 deaths per
100,000. The largest increase occurred in heroin-related deaths from 97 deaths
in 2010 to 850 deaths in 2016. Further, deaths from synthetic opioids rose from
35 to 689 deaths in the same period.
In November of 2015, the FDA moved to approve Narcan, a naloxone nasal
spray solution, as a method of combating the crisis. With Narcan, a single shot is
sprayed into each nasal cavity. The first responders and primary caregivers who
had been using naloxone in syringes made the case that the nasal spray form