PHOTO: Lakewood Leaders Gather to Celebrate DART Coalition’s Plan to Reduce County Substance Abuse

PHOTO: More than 100 Ocean County community leaders gathered on Wednesday evening at the Volunteer Fire Department in Waretown to usher in the Coalition’s new five-year plan to reduce substance abuse in the County. The theme of the evening, “Together We Can Reduce Substance Abuse,” was a sentiment echoed by each of the event’s speakers and attendees.

The DART Coalition, funded by a grant awarded to Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, was created in 2009 with an initial goal of reducing alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes within the 18- to 25-year-old population in Brick, Lakewood and Toms River. This year, the Coalition’s goals expanded to include all of Ocean County and its substance abuse issues.

“Since the Coalition’s inception, more than 80 active members have worked to achieve its goals with regular meetings and evidence-based implementation strategies,” explained Bob Goldschlag, Director of DART Coalition of Ocean County. “Membership is comprised of Ocean County community leaders including law enforcement and government officials, educators, business owners, substance abuse professionals, parents, clergy, students and other youth.”

For more information about Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention or the DART Coalition of Ocean County, please visit instituteforprevention.com.

Pictured from left to right at the DART Coalition of Ocean County’s Kick Off event: Hugh Wallace, Lakewood Municipal Alliance; Simcha Greenwald, Lakewood Community Youth Director; Bob Goldschlag, Director, DART Coalition of Ocean County; Lakewood Mayor Albert Akerman; and Steven Reinman, Lakewood Deputy Municipal Manager. TLS.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Yadda, yadda, yadda. They have been trying to reduce “substance abuse” for years. How many years have the cops had their “DARE” cars? Has it done any good after spending all that money on that program? Instead of spending lots of money on it, how about making “substance” legal and taxing it and making money?

  2. each community has its own unique issuse to deal with. in lakewood we need to start with the shabbos kidushim ,& yeshivas with zero tolorance policys. this means starting with the so called ” top yeshivas ” and it will then trickle down to the main stream schools.

    great time to open a discussion with purim around the corner !

    a safe and healthy purim and life.

Comments are closed.