In a continuing effort to combat the opioid and overdose crisis, the Camden County Office of Mental Health and Addiction has collaborated with the county’s Addiction Awareness Task Force to distribute more than 400 overdose response kits to Jefferson Cherry Hill and Jefferson Stratford hospitals.
Jefferson Health will soon make the kits available to patients at its county-based hospitals who are dealing with overdoses or substance-use disorder issues. The goal is to prevent future overdoses and save lives.
Each kit contains Narcan nasal spray vials, fentanyl and Xylazine test strips, contact information for the mental health and addiction office and guidelines on how to respond to an overdose.
“We know that getting these lifesaving medications into the hands of those who need it improves the outcomes of overdose responses,” said Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. “It’s imperative to make these tools as widely available as possible, so those who are most at risk of experiencing an overdose can be revived quickly and know what to do if they see someone else in need of immediate help.”
Jefferson Health East Region President Aaron Chang expressed gratitude for the overdose kits.
“The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact in our community,” he noted, “and joint collaboration with community partners is the only way we can improve the current situation. We are pleased to work with Camden County on such a vital and needed service.”
Recent data from the NJ ROIC-Drug Monitoring Initiative indicates significant progress in the county’s effort to stem overdose deaths. From January to July of this year, the county experienced a 39% drop in overdose deaths compared with the same period last year.
The number of Naloxone – known as Narcan – responses has significantly decreased, with 511 administrations in the first half of 2024, down from 851 in the same period of 2023. The county has seen a consistent decline in fatal overdoses over two years, with 295 drug-related deaths last year compared with 354 in 2022.
“We are striving to make Narcan available in nearly every aspect of public life,” Cappelli explained. “We have installed NaloxBoxes in every county-owned building, public park, public school and on several school buses throughout the county to ensure that no matter where an overdose may occur, we have tools readily available to save a life.
“This effort is clearly paying off.”
For those seeking addiction assistance, the hotline (844) ReachNJ (732-2465) offers free professional support. County residents suffering from substance-use disorder can contact the Office of Mental Health and Addiction at (856) 374-6361.
