Due to the growing opioid epidemic in the state, the Garden State Pharmacy Owners (GSPO) has established a program to provide relevant, potentially life-saving information to New Jersey’s nearly 300,000 high school student-athletes, according to theNew Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) press release.
The GSPO Stop Opioid Abuse Program (SOAP) will regularly share student-focused materials with public, private, and parochial high schools across New Jersey, according to the release. Each school may then determine how best to distribute the information to its athletes, as well as to coaches and trainers.
Statewide distribution will be coordinated for SOAP by the NJSIAA. Some of the informational materials provided, both in online and printed form, will be provided by the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), according to the release.
Other components of the SOAP initiative will include additional community outreach, regular updates to and interaction with state legislators and drug manufacturers, plus volunteer efforts by GSPO members, according to the release.