Dear New Jersey: Let’s treat addiction as one

According to recent news coverage, over 28,000 New Jersey residents sought treatment for drug addiction in 2016 and approximately 1,200 died. The U.S. Surgeon General recently reported that drug addiction effects one in seven Americans and only 10 percent receive the help that they need. In New Jersey, the Christie administration continues to show support for individuals who confront addiction.

I have been committed to the cause of addiction treatment for 38 years. I have personally witnessed the havoc that it wreaks on individuals, communities and families.

As a New Jersey resident, long-term provider of addiction treatment services and a member of the community, it is my hope that we can change the trajectory of this disease and its victims. This is possible through collaboration and treatment.

Alcoholism and drug addiction continue to plague communities across America. While the statistics of the challenge are on the rise, many individuals still do not seek treatment.

According to a recent posting in “Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey” (from The White House) the increase in death from opioids continues on the rise. Further, it confirms that many individuals do not receive needed treatment (reported 12/8/16): “The prescription opioid and heroin epidemic continues to devastate communities and families across the country — in large part because too many people still do not get effective substance use disorder treatment,” said Michael Botticelli, Director of National Drug Control Policy. “That is why the President has called since February for $1 billion in new funding to expand access to treatment. This week Congress finally acted on the President's request. The Administration will work to get this new funding out to States as quickly as possible to make sure that every American who wants treatment for an opioid use disorder is able to get it.”

I run two locations in New Jersey known as Endeavor House, Pinnacle Treatment Networks in Kearny and Keyport. We treat adults in a safe, medically supervised residential treatment setting. Our collective expertise includes decades of working with people who confront this disease. We enter 2017 faced with daunting challenges and commend the governor’s office and the federal government for continuing to take steps to encourage treatment. None of us can solve the challenge alone; it truly is a unified effort.

Our stories of people’s lives include the 70-year-old woman who became addicted to pain killers after routine surgery, the young nurse whose life choices led her to steal drugs from her employer, and the local florist who started to drink with his family at a young age – this compounded and he became an alcoholic. These are our patients. These are the people with whom we work to reunite them with their families, their jobs and their lives.

While it is clear that those illegal manufacturers of synthetic opioids will continue to traffic their illicit products – we can unite against this monster together. This includes aligning with law enforcement, religious institutions, community leaders and elected officials to ensure that any individual who seeks treatment can locate help.

Like us, there are others who provide options in this region. I ask that we all work together to ring in 2018 with improved statistics and healthy lives.

Where there is life, there is hope. Let’s make 2017 a better year and save more lives together.

Henry Bennett is the executive director for Endeavor House, Pinnacle Treatment Network. Endeavor House, located in both Keyport and Kearny, treats alcohol and drug addiction.