Lawmakers Begin to Shape Battle Plan for Fight Against Heroin

New Jersey can take more steps to stem the toll on its residents caused by heroin and prescription opioid drugs, addiction experts told a Senate committee yesterday.

Their recommendations range from expanding what doctors are required to learn about addictions and conducting a public-awareness campaign to providing addiction treatment in jails and using technology to link primary care providers with addiction specialists.

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee held a hearing on the topic yesterday as the starting point for what committee Chairman Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) said would be a comprehensive effort to bolster prevention, treatment and recovery from opioid addiction.

The committee’s work is likely to lead to new legislation, since members of both parties – including Gov. Chris Christie – have expressed concern about the problem.

This concern has already led to a new law intended to reduce the number of overdose deaths by protecting from prosecution those who report overdoses or administer a heroin overdose antidote.

Read more at NJSpotlight.com