MUNICIPALITIES JOIN FORCES ON ADDICTION CONCERNS

Franklin Lakes - Officials of three municipalities joined forces Sept. 24 to announce something they have known for some time: "We have a severe drug addiction problem."

Mayors, police chiefs and school superintendents from Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff were on hand at a press conference at McBride Field to announce their combined effort to address "epidemic levels of opiate and heroin use" that is "killing" people.

Wyckoff is forming a steering committee of elected officials, police chiefs and municipal alliance chairs to help direct actions and track, report and identify the problem, enabling it to measure progress.

The municipalities and school districts will pool funds and apply for grants to combat the problem. They will also hire a professional independent consultant specializing in drug abuse and mental illness.

A pre-announced enforcement program is being developed in which enhanced policing and education will be stressed.

In addition, a "drug amnesty" program is being established. This will allow families and individuals to seek help from trained officers without the fear of being arrested or prosecuted.

Greater public education will be offered through websites, social media, at school presentations and town hall meetings.

Towns will petition legislative representatives to require mandatory substance abuse counseling by a professional addiction counselor in order to be released from treatment facility after being brought in for an overdose.

Mayors concerned

"We have families begging for help, but they fear getting arrested, their children getting arrested," Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney said. "But that's not going to solve this issue. Insurance companies that set limits on treatment and longterm care, which is necessary, can be cost-prohibitive. We want to begin a pathway to hope."

Rooney said the old war on drugs is not effective anymore.

"It's the hospital or the mortuary," Rooney said. "We have to start thinking out of the box."

Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager said she was encouraged that the three towns would share more resources to combat the problem.

"We're talking about seeking grants and not just cooperating with funds, but with people resources, too," said Schwager, an attorney. "I see the prosecution side of the drug problem. We always used to think drug problems began with smoking pot, but really, it starts in parents medicine cabinets."

She mentioned the "Take Back" program in which anyone can drop unused prescription drugs in boxes set at certain police stations for proper disposal, including permanent drops in Oakland and Waldwick. Other towns have days on which they encourage residents to bring their unused drugs to discard them, no questions asked.

"I'm encouraged to see our elementary [school] superintendent here," Schwager said. "We shouldn't wait for the high school to address these drug issues. By then, it could be too late."

Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona said the three towns would begin with a steering committee.

"Just a week ago, we lost a 30-year-old man in Franklin Lakes to an overdose," he said. "We're admitting to ourselves and to the public, we have a problem. We're paving the road with the schools to go get funding to help. We're taking a stand against this problem."

Bivona concurred the three towns are aiming for immunity when people come forward to get help.

"We want to be more visible about the issue, talk more openly as a community," he said. "But we are treating this as a mental health issue, with confidentiality."

Schools respond

Dr. Gina Coffaro, superintendent of the Oakland K-8 school district, said she recently had 60 parents at a drug information seminar.

"Afterwards, I heard 10 parents reached out for more help," she said. "That is encouraging, that people are taking advantage of these services and looking for help."

Other superintendents in attendance were Beverly MacKay of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School district, Dr. Lydia Furnari of the Franklin Lakes K-8 district, and Richard Kuder of the Wyckoff K-8 district.

Police involved

Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox said he has been a police officer for nearly four decades, but has never seen the issue at such magnitude.

"We're saving people with Narcan and they're dying a week later," he said. "This is a problem people can't get away from unless they get help."

Narcan is a drug that reverses the effects of some narcotics. Police departments have recently begun carrying one-shot doses to save those who may have overdosed.

Fox said instead of attacking problems legally, they are trying to do something else before any arrests are made.

"We're not coming into arrest people if there are drugs in the home," he said. "We'll take them, but we're not there to arrest people. The truth is, as we've seen, you can't arrest your way out of this problem."

Fox said opiates, such as oxycontin, know no race, age or socio-economic boundaries.

"It almost always goes from there to heroin use."

Franklin Lakes Police Chief Carmine Pezzuti said his department has had five Narcan saves since November, but also several deaths.

"Enforcement is a component, but our primary responsibility is to help," he said.

Oakland Police Chief Edward Kasper said all three towns have been doing much of what was being discussed for "some time."

"Now, we're talking about it out loud, to the public," he said. "In the past, people would have pain and take an aspirin; now they're taking oxy. Can we do more? Absolutely. We're continuing our efforts. It's now a priority."

Legislative response

Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Wayne) said the summit serves as a model for the rest of the state.

"I commend mayors Bivona, Rooney, and Schwager for their efforts to help combat this devastating epidemic," said O'Toole. "Irrespective of where you live, none of us are immune from the devastation drug use brings to our families and communities. No longer can we simply bury our heads in the sand ignoring what's going on around us; compassion, understanding, and a willingness to tackle this issue head-[on] is what we need to do. Caring for those in need is not just an obligation for all of us as elected officials but for all of us as members of society. I stand with these communities in their effort to tackle this ever-growing problem, ready and willing to facilitate any and all assistance they need to help their communities."O'Toole introduced legislation Sept. 25 to stiffen penalties for those who possess narcotics, such as oxycodone or oxycotin, with intent to sell. The bill eliminates the requirement of a forensic laboratory analysis of unknown or imitation drugs that a defendant is charged with distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute.