By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The rolling hills of Montgomery Township would appear to be soothing and its residents would be unlikely to be as stressed and anxiety-ridden as those who live in the city., But stress and anxiety are as rampant in this bucolic community and the neighboring small town of Rocky Hill as they are in the rest of the United States., While there are many ways to cope, young people – and even some of their elders – are becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs as they try to take the edge off anxiety and stress., That’s why the Montgomery Township School District is hosting a public event to raise awareness about stress and anxiety and how it may lead to addiction on April 20 at Montgomery High School., The doors open to the event – “In the Blink of an Eye” – at 6:30 p.m., where more than 30 area treatment providers and community faith leaders will be available to talk one-on-one with attendees., The focal point of the event is a panel discussion that kicks off at 7 p.m. and that features first-hand stories about substance abuse. One is from the perspective of a parent, and the others are from addicts., Also on the panel are Superintendent of Schools Nancy Gartenberg, Capt. Thomas Wain of the Montgomery Township Police Department, and a representative from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office., Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, who is the school district physician and who chairs the Department of Pediatrics at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, also will join the panel., A question-and-answer session will follow the panel discussion, along with refreshments provided by The Tiger’s Tale, Fabulous Festivities and Chartwells., Preregistration would be appreciated by signing up at http://www.mtsd.k12.nj.us./blink.
