Ray Lucas and Knock Out Opioid Abuse Program Return with New Events Across New Jersey
2024年8月13日 - 2:33AM
The Knock Out Opioid Abuse program, featuring former NFL
quarterback Ray Lucas, is back, bringing crucial education on the
risks of prescription opioids to high school student-athletes
across the state. This initiative, organized by the Partnership for
a Drug-Free New Jersey and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New
Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey State Interscholastic
Athletic Association (NJSIAA), kicks off its schedule of events for
the new school year after a successful launch at Don Bosco Prep in
May.
"High school athletes are especially at risk for opioid misuse
due to sports injuries," said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of
the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. "We want to equip
students with the knowledge to make safe, informed choices about
their health."
Ray Lucas, a New Jersey native and former Rutgers quarterback
who played in the NFL for eight years, headlines the program. He
shares his personal battle with opioid misuse and his journey to
recovery, offering a powerful and relatable message to
student-athletes.
“Horizon and the Partnership are proud to continue our ongoing
work to bring these important and educational town halls to more
high schools across the state,” Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive
Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, at Horizon BCSNJ.
“Through the powerful voice of Ray Lucas and the broad reach of the
NJSIAA, we will continue to raise awareness of opioid misuse at New
Jersey school settings where they learn, play sports and
socialize.”
The next event will be held August 20 at Jefferson Township High
School. The series will continue in the fall on October 10 at
Sussex County Technical School and October 24 at Red Bank Regional
High School.
Student-athletes have a higher risk of opioid use, often due to
injuries requiring medical attention. In a recent 12-month
survey by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence,
12 percent of male athletes and 8 percent of female athletes had
used prescription opioids. A Monitoring the Future survey also has
found that adolescent participants in high-injury sports had 50
percent higher odds of nonmedical use of prescription opioids than
adolescents who did not participate in these types of sports.
According to NJ CARES, there were 2,564 suspected overdose deaths
in 2023.
Supported through grants by Horizon’s philanthropic arm, The
Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse
initiative is now in its fourth phase.
The initiative began with the Town Hall Series held for all 21
New Jersey counties in 2017 and 2018. The program expanded in 2019
and 2020 to include a prescriber education webinar, as well as
parent education through PDFNJ’s 5th Grade Parent Alert and
community outreach via a statewide awareness public service
campaign. The second phase also included community town halls,
which were interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic and held as
webinars in the spring and fall of 2020.
The third phase of the partnership focused on student-athletes
and featured NJSIAA in a collaborative role. Lucas served as the
keynote speaker at 10 events throughout the state, which were
attended by thousands of high school athletes.
For more information, please visit
https://knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org/.
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Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey: 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.
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New
Jersey: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the
state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying,
not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array
of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and
services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health
care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver
innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not
quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more
at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent
licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more
than 3.4 million members.
Lisa Batitto
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
news@drugfreenj.org