By Stephen Appezzato
You may have noticed a lot more purple around town than usual – for a good reason. Throughout August, purple flags have sprung up throughout Monmouth County in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day Aug. 31. The colorful flags visibly remind residents of the continued battle against substance abuse and its potential outcome.
On the day, local organizations held events and ceremonies to commemorate the victims of substance abuse and those continuing to struggle.
“We recognize this important day each year to honor those we’ve lost, to support those living in recovery and to end the stigma so that society can better help those suffering with addiction,” said Andrea LeLand, executive director of the Tigger Stavola Foundation, a local organization fighting ad diction, spreading awareness on the topic and saving lives through drug prevention and education. The foundation held its fourth annual walk in Red Bank to mark the day.
International Overdose Awareness Day began in 2001 in Australia. Sally J. Finn, who led a needle and syringe program at a Salvation Army Crisis Center in Melbourne, recognized the need to establish a campaign that crosses borders. Since then, the day has become increasingly popular globally, with national governments joining the movement to share overdose prevention strategies, educational resources and remembrance.
“Overdose Awareness Day is very important to me,” said Joshua Fenster, co-founder and chief executive officer of Seacrest Recovery Center. “I have been sober almost 16 years and I have seen many close friends, people I have sponsored in AA and even family members lose their lives to the disease of addiction from an overdose,” he said.
For Carley Dietrick, director of outreach and community engagement for Seacrest Recovery Center in Eatontown, the day is important “because it encourages our community to remember those who have died without stigma and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.”
Seacrest Recovery Center is a mental health and substance abuse treatment center with locations in Eatontown, Florida and Ohio.
“I’m a friend that was ‘left behind.’ I vividly remember the days when I lost two friends in high school to overdoses,” said Dietrick. “Overdose does not discriminate and we need to continue to work together to provide education to help end stigma and provide resources to end overdose,” she said.
Dietrick urged those struggling with addiction to contact anyone for help. “No one needs to do this alone and that is why I do what I do,” she said.
The drug crisis is an issue that affects many. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 107,000 drug overdoses resulted in death in the United States in 2022. In New Jersey, the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner reported 1,772 suspected drug deaths since January. In Monmouth County, 151 individuals died from suspected drug overdoses last year; 90 people have died so far in 2023.
According to Megan Tangradi, the clinical director at Seacrest Recovery Center, the most common drugs abused in the area are “typically alcohol, THC, cocaine and opiates.”
Tangradi said there has been “an increase in methamphetamine use in the area over the last several years” and an increase in alcohol abuse since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among younger age groups.
“We also have been finding that many substances, including THC, cocaine and methamphetamines, are being laced with fentanyl, making many substances dangerous and putting many people at risk for fentanyl-related overdoses,” she said.
Tangradi listed mental health, socioeconomic status, environment, job stressors, family and relationships, other stress and trauma as factors linked to substance use and addiction.
“The changes in just the tristate area alone since the pandemic have created many external stressors for everyday living that contributed to an increase in substance abuse in many different populations,” she said, also noting the influence of social media on the mental health of younger generations as a driving factor behind substance abuse.
This month the state launched Naloxone 365 to increase access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that often reverses opioid-caused overdoses. Residents can obtain naloxone anonymously and for free at hundreds of pharmacies around the state. Opioids are involved in roughly three-quarters of overdose deaths, according to the CDC.
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners reminded residents of other services available through the county Department of Human Services. Through a partnership with the Prevention Coalition of Monmouth County, it offers an “Opioid Toolkit which provides awareness and education about Good Samaritan protections, free naloxone training and the signs of an opioid overdose along with emergency phone numbers such as police, EMS and local hospitals,” said Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone.
According to Dietrick, overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. “Let that sink in for a moment,” she said.
This article originally appeared in the August 31 – September 6, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
