Daytop New Jersey Sponsors Important 5 Part Series “Drugs and Our Kids”
Mendham, NJ (PRWEB) July 30, 2014 -- Daytop New Jersey, a comprehensive Behavioral Health treatment and education program, has made available the important 5 part series “Drugs and Our Kids” at http://www.daytopnj.org. The series, previously sponsored by Daytop New Jersey on NJ 101.5 radio, examines why New Jersey’s middle and high school students are at risk as drug abuse continues to increase in the Garden State and what parents need to know to reverse the trend.
According to the report, last year in New Jersey, more than 1,300 young people died from drug overdoses – and most of them involved snorting or injecting heroin. Despite aggressive, ongoing efforts to warn New Jersey teens and their parents about the growing epidemic of prescription drug and heroin use. An increasing number of kids are getting hooked on heroin, and many are overdosing on the dangerous drugs, in some cases, fatally. DEA Special Agent Timothy McMahon pointed out drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and synthetic forms of pot, coke and what’s billed as a pure version of Ecstasy called Molly are all popular. “The biggest problem facing the state today is the increased use of prescription drugs which then leads to a spike in heroin use,” says McMahon.
The series also examines the warning signs and steps parents can take if they discover that their child has a substance abuse problem. According to Angelo Valente, the executive director of the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey, there are clear warning signs. A sudden change of friends, nodding off at the dinner table, loss of valuables in the home, constant itching to the point where they are distracting other members of the family are a few Valente mentioned.
“If a parent suspects there’s a drug problem, they’re right, because parents are the last people that will ever suspect their kid is using drugs,” said Steve Liga, the executive director of the Middlesex County Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
James Curtin, President and Executive Director of Daytop New Jersey says: "The mission of Daytop New Jersey Inc. is to provide highly effective and accessible Behavioral Health Services, restoring hope and improving the quality of life for persons served, their families and our communities. The programs are individualized and provide comprehensive treatment options for substance abuse, including co-occurring disorders. Substance abuse is pervasive in our New Jersey communities and it is a problem that will affect each and every one of us at some point in our lives. It is important that we have a trusted resource such as Daytop New Jersey to turn to in a time of need.
For more information about Daytop New Jersey or to make a donation, please visit http://www.daytopnj.org, or contact Linda Nitka at 973-543-5656 ext. 749 or email lnitka(at)daytopnj(dot)org.
About Daytop New Jersey:
Daytop New Jersey established in 1991, delivers a comprehensive substance abuse treatment and education program to male and female adolescents and adults, with a focus on co-occurring disorders in order to provide the best possible outcomes for those in our care.
Families from all walks of life turn to Daytop because the program is individualized, family-based, cost-effective, peer-oriented and multi-disciplinary in nature. Daytop treats over 500 individuals annually in all its centers.
Daytop New Jersey at Mendham / Daytop Preparatory School provides screening services, academic and treatment services for adolescents at 80 West Main Street, Mendham, New Jersey 07945, Phone 973-543-5656
Daytop New Jersey at Pittsgrove provides an academic program and inpatient treatment services for adolescents at 9 Harding Highway, Pittsgrove, New Jersey 08318, Phone 856-358-4111
Daytop New Jersey Morris County Outpatient Program provides outpatient services to both adults and adolescents at 320 West Hanover Avenue, Parsippany, NJ 07054, Phone 973-539-5764
Daytop New Jersey’s Hunterdon County Outpatient Program provides screening & outpatient Services at 6 Gauntt Place, Building #2, Flemington, NJ 08822 / P.O. Box 69, Flemington, NJ 08822, Phone 908-806-5195
Daytop New Jersey at Crawford House, provides treatment and transitional housing to women in early recovery from addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, 362 Sunset Road, Skillman, NJ 08558 / P.O. Box 255, Skillman, NJ 08558, Phone 908-874-5153
Michael Buonauro, Daytop New Jersey, http://www.daytopnj.org/, +1 (973) 239-1998 Ext: 3, [email protected]
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