Before a captive audience of health care professionals, teachers, and concerned parents, WeForum hosted its inaugural Community Conversation on April 26th at Monmouth University's Pollack Theater. The Community Conversation topic "Responding to the Heroin Epidemic in Monmouth County" was presented in partnership with Monmouth Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, The Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and the Tigger House Foundation.
WeForum organized the event to give parents greater insight into the very real heroin epidemic in our backyards and how they can take a proactive approach to mitigate the risks of exposure and addition to this deadly drug. The event's Master of Ceremonies, Christian Peter, a Tigger House Foundation, Board Member monitored the riveting expert panel featuringDr. VictorAlmeida, Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmou
th County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, and Dennis Makarowski,
Co-Occurring Disorder Specialist Behavioral Health at Monmouth
Medical Center. According to the Center for Disease Control, New Jersey's heroin ove
rdose rate is triple our nation's soaring rate. The Panel's message was clear - anyone can fall prey to the deadly grasp of heroin and other opioids because it is accessible and cheap.
Despite the sobering statistics, the Panel offered an attainable solution to seizing the upper hand on the heroin epidemic by empowering parents to have honest conversations with their children about the
grave dangers of this and all drugs and to gain
a better understanding on the increased risk factors that can lead to children experimenting with heroine. WeForum is grateful to Monmouth Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health for setting the stage for this live-saving Community Conversation. Stay tuned for future Community Conversations in the coming months.
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