prescription drug abuse

A new poll finds nine in 10 New Jersey residents think doctors should be required to tell patients about addiction risks in the drugs they prescribe, thinking along the same lines as a coalition of drug abuse, treatment and prevention experts who believe patients should receive more information regarding those medications.

On Monday, we told you about a unique program helping babies born to New Jersey mothers who used heroin, painkillers or other opioids during pregnancy. Many of the newborns go into withdrawal and must take methadone or morphine, and endure weeks of therapy -- but the potential problems don't stop there.

As the heroin and prescription painkiller abuse epidemic rages on in New Jersey, hundreds of women addicted to drugs give birth every year to children with a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Health experts have said drug addiction, particularly heroin addiction, is an epidemic in New Jersey's cities, suburbs and rural areas. To help address the crisis, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-Ocean) has introduced a bill that would require the state's substance abuse treatment facilities to post information about their services on county and state websites.

Officials say 85 percent of New Jersey's physicians can now access to the state's Prescription Monitoring Program.

If your son or daughter has suffered a serious injury, do you know what kind of pain medication they were given? If you don't it turns out you're not alone.

Even with a steady stream of publicity about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, the epidemic continues to spiral out of control in New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Chris Christie got personal at a summit on addiction on Tuesday, highlighting the disease's disregard for race, class and education distinctions with a story about a law school classmate who had a family and successful career but became addicted to alcohol and painkillers and died recently.

Legislation to create a task force to tackle New Jersey's growing heroin and prescription drug abuse is being pushed in Trenton.​

After more than a year of behind-the-scenes work, State Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Woodbrige) is scheduled to unveil a 21-bill package Wednesday aimed at addressing New Jersey's growing heroin and prescription drug abuse problem.