Christie: The war on drugs has failed, treat NJ heroin addiction as an illness
To combat New Jersey’s growing heroin and opioid crisis, Gov. Chris Christie says the state needs to embrace a dramatically different approach to substance abuse, but cautioned that he will not write a blank check to get it there.
In his time as governor, heroin and opioid abuse have surged into the spotlight, claiming at least 740 lives in New Jersey alone last year, while tens of thousands of others sought treatment, many of their lives broken by addiction. Irrespective of how the state arrived at such an unenviable position, in Christie’s eyes, government has a role in making sure those shackled by addiction get the help they need.
I commend Gov Christie on recent enlightenment about substance abuse and addiction… however the last word of the above paragraph – IMO – shows where he really doesn’t GET IT … Once again the bureaucracy has determined what its citizens NEED. NEWS FLASH.. the vast majority of those who abuse some substance will not NEED their addiction address until they WANT their addiction addressed. Is this going to be another bureaucracy to help people in a manner they don’t want to be helped ?
BTW… it is my understanding that NJ has once of the most narrow MMJ laws in the country and Gov Christie has stated that it is not going to be expanded under his watch.
Filed under: General Problems
Perhaps education would help this person that does not have a clue. Imagine if they were aware of the suffering they cause.
I don’t like to see statics putting heroin and opiates together.
I live in Jersey and I’ve seen the headlines in the papers. I know people that have kids addicted to heroin, some have lost their lives to it. And we even had a family members son die of an overdose. The problem isn’t with doctors or pharmacist or even drug laws. The problem is with the addicts.
They will do anything to get high. Do anything to get their drugs.
The state has even made it harder on the addicts to doctor shop. If anyone try’s to bring more than one narcotic script to any pharmacy within a thirty day period it gets flagged not filled. It doesn’t matter if it’s Wallgreens or CVS, they are all connected. And that’s a good thing.
I don’t know what the solution is. But one question I have is what happened to kids smoking pot? These kids are hooked on heroin.
Marijuana laws here for medicinal purpose are ridiculous. The governor needs to get with the medicinal needs of chronically ill patients. Like I said the addicts will always find a way to get their drugs.
Maybe we need these kids to be put in morgues and funeral homes. Let them see death up close and personal. Scaring them straight might be a good thing.
Little baby steps