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Atlantic County seeks input on how to address opioid epidemic

  • Atlantic County

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The Atlantic County Division of Public Health is seeking input from the community in a brief 10-question online survey to help prioritize recommendations that address the opioid epidemic and its impact on county residents.

The opioid epidemic has caused irreparable damage across our nation. The number of people who died from a drug overdose in 2021 was over six times the number in 1999. Companies involved in the manufacturing, distribution and sale of opioids are now being court-ordered to pay for the damages they have inflicted.

New Jersey has already been awarded more than $640 million in settlement funds from opioid makers and distributors. Atlantic County received nearly $600,000 in 2023 and established a committee of community partners to identify the best use of these funds.

The results of this survey will help us develop strategies for implementation, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said in a release. This is a community-wide problem that requires community-wide involvement.

Access to the survey is available through March 1 on the county's website at www.aclink.org.

We need your help to address the challenges of opioid addiction and advance solutions, Levinson said.