Millburn, NJ, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Jersey's state legislators and Governor Murphy have taken steps to safeguard opioid settlement funds, enacting 'no supplantation' laws to ensure these monies are used exclusively for opioid education, prevention, treatment, assistance for affected families, and harm reduction efforts. The initiative, supported by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), aims to prevent the misdirection of settlement money to other purposes.
New Jersey has a history of efforts against the opioid crisis. The state was the first to implement a drug take-back program, a model now adopted nationwide. Additionally, New Jersey introduced the Right to Know law, which requires doctors to discuss the risks of opioid dependency and the availability of safer alternatives with patients. Twenty other states have since adopted this law.
Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ, highlighted the importance of these measures. "New Jersey has taken significant steps to address opioid abuse. The 'no supplantation' laws are critical in ensuring that settlement funds are used appropriately to combat this epidemic," he said.
The FED UP! Coalition, a grassroots organization founded by parents who lost children to opioid overdoses, has also been vocal in urging other states to implement similar protections. The coalition warns that without clear legislation, many states risk misusing settlement funds, as seen with the 1998 Tobacco Settlement, where only a small portion of the money was used for its intended purpose.
"Every dollar from these settlements must be used to fight the opioid epidemic," Valente said. "It's crucial that states enact legislation to ensure these funds are spent on efforts that will genuinely help end this crisis."
Further information can be found at www.feduprally.org.
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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
