Steps to Recovery, a private substance abuse treatment facility, is sponsoring a Stomp the Stigma fundraiser on behalf of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission to raise money for addiction treatment and provide Narcan for use by law enforcement personnel in saving overdose victims.Nearby Hunterdon County in New Jersey has been aggressive in promoting Narcan use, with law enforcement officers there administering the drug and saving lives twice in March alone.
Said the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s office, “These individuals are Hunterdon’s daughters, sons, and parents. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. Nobody intends to become an addict. They get caught up in something they can’t control, often starting out with prescription narcotic drugs and moving to heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain. This is a public health crisis and it is about saving lives. We cannot look at the heroin epidemic as simply a law enforcement problem. We have to address it on multiple fronts and we need the public’s help right now.”
Hunterdon County has already experienced nine overdose incidents this year, as compared to 13 cases in all of 2014, including four from Raritan Township, and one each from Readington, Kingwood, Town of Clinton, Flemington, and High Bridge.
Steps to Recovery is asking for material or financial contributions, and items donated will be used for baskets and silent auctions. For more info, email Kelsey at kmccarthy@stepstorecovery.com, or call (267) 902-1935. The cost for a Stomp the Stigma ticket is $25, and they are available online.
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