After the release of the video showing police reviving a heroin overdose victim, I asked for stories of listeners who have been personally affected by addiction in their own lives. Among the callers were Kevin Meara, founder of City of Angels, and Jimmy Graham, founder of 'Stand Up 2 Addiction.' Both of these programs aim to help families with members who struggle with drug addictions.

Both Meara and Graham stressed the importance of naloxone (sold as "Narcan"), the antidote used in emergency situations to treat overdoses.

Meara noted that "since we introduced Narcan to our officers in Mercer County... there's been 81 saves in Mercer County." Nearly half of those were in Meara's own neighborhood.

Graham urged those who are personally connected to addicts to looks into classes that are available to train non-medical professionals on how to use Narcan in case of emergencies.

Callers' stories helped put the addiction problem in perspective. These are real, everyday people with a life-threatening disease. One caller, Joe on the Parkway, thanked Steve for bringing the problem into the conversation and told his personal story. Joe reminds us that drug addiction could happen to anyone.

Heroin addiction is a continuously growing epidemic in New Jersey, we urge anyone who is currently struggling to reach out for help.

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