By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) will host a forum aimed at informing members of the public about an ongoing heroin and opiate epidemic in Monmouth County.
Beck will be joined by Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni and Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent of Schools Charles Sampson at Freehold Township High School, Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold Township, at 7 p.m. April 6. All members of the public are welcome to attend the event.
Attendees will learn about the warning signs of opiate and heroin use.
“The forum to be held on April 6 is a collaborative effort to combat the escalating problem New Jersey has seen in regard to heroin addiction,” Sampson said. “I am happy to continue working with Sen. Beck and Prosecutor Gramiccioni, leveraging our collective resources to inform and educate our communities about the dangers of heroin. It is imperative that people understand the facts and know where to turn for help.”
“The only way we are going to help get around these problems is to spread awareness of the epidemic of heroin in Monmouth County,” said Michael Pasterchick, chief, Investigative Administration, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. “We certainly applaud Sen. Beck for bringing this forum to Freehold Township and we wholeheartedly support this forum and forums like it to help citizens to be made aware of the serious problem in Monmouth County regarding heroin and opiates. It is an alarming situation and any type of awareness is certainly welcomed by law enforcement and certainly by the citizens of Freehold Township.”