GREED GREED GREED –

Oct. 12, 2022 – The opioid epidemic may have fallen out of the daily headlines, but it continues its deadly rampage in New Jersey, Brewer said.

More than 3,100 people died of drug overdoses last year, with another 2,237 so far this year, state datashows. Another 75,000 people have been saved in New Jersey since 2017 with the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, the data shows.

“Many more remain trapped in the cycle of addiction, desperate for help in breaking their dependence on pills, alcohol and other illegal substances,” Brewer said. “But all too often, addicted individuals and their families are victimized by the very system that’s supposed to help them recover and rebuild their lives.”

The addiction recovery industry is a growing $42 billion business, Brewer said. When providers let their financial interests — instead of a recovering patient’s needs — dictate their treatment placement, patients don’t get the specialized care best suited to their needs, Brewer added. 

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