New Jersey
N.J. using millions from opioid settlement to expand support for people in recovery
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday unveiled what he described as a historic effort to combat the opioid crisis in the Garden State.
During a visit to the North Jersey Community Research Initiative, Murphy said over the next three years, more than $95 million will be invested into a range of evidence-based strategies to expand care and support individuals in recovery.
“The funding is not coming from the pockets of New Jersey’s taxpayers. Instead, this funding is actually coming from settlement payments we are receiving from the opioid industry itself,” he said.
In 2022, New Jersey began receiving money from a major nationwide litigation settlement that holds opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers accountable for creating and fueling the opioid epidemic, by aggressively marketing prescription opioids while downplaying their risks.
New Jersey will receive over $1 billion in total settlement funds, which will be allotted over the next 14 years.
The governor said the money will be used to expand harm reduction centers and community peer recovery centers, as well as medication-assisted treatment programs, a program focused on keeping families together during drug recovery and expanded housing assistance for individuals with substance abuse disorders.
“Expanding support for our neighbors struggling with addiction, rather than throwing them behind bars saves lives, and improves community health more broadly,” said Murphy.
Sarah Adelman, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services said the fight against the opioid epidemic touches her personally.
“I have lived every day of my life impacted by addiction, as the daughter of someone who struggled with substance use and for years with opioid use disorder, until I lost them from complications from addiction,” she said.
She said as a child and a caregiver, “I have experienced the hope and devastation that comes with the high and low points of that journey, and I have witnessed and felt acutely the impacts of stigma and shame that take their toll and rob people of their dignity, it is heartbreaking.”
“It’s not right,” said Adelman, “and it is so much worse knowing there are many people in the healthcare industry who perpetuated this crisis for profit.”
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Attention drivers using New Jersey roads, tolls are about to go up again on two major highways next year.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved a 2025 budget that includes a three percent increase to tolls on the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
According to a spokesperson with the authority, the annual Turnpike toll will go up by 16 cents. Some examples include:
- From Interchange 4 to Interchange 7A to go up by 10 cents
- From Interstate 95 through Interchange 6 to the Newark airport (Interchange 13A) will go up by 30 cents
- To travel south from Interchange 4 to the Delaware Memorial Bridge will go up 13 cents
Officials said that the tolls at the main plazas on the Parkway will go up by eight cents. Some of those include:
- Cape May
- Great Egg
- Sommers Point
Meanwhile, tolls at Parkway ramp plazas will go up by just three cents.
The increase goes into effect for both roads on Jan. 1.
This is the fourth increase since the Turnpike Authority board approved annual toll hikes back in 2020.
New Jersey will get a good soaking of rain starting Wednesday night that will put a dent in the drought conditions the state is experiencing after about six weeks.
North Jersey and the northern parts of Central Jersey are expected to receive 2 to 3 inches of rain by Friday with lesser amounts in the south, forecasters say.
The southern most part of the state will wind up with a half-inch to an inch of rain.
A dusting of snow is also likely in northwestern parts of the state on Thursday night into Friday, though little-to-no accumulation is expected.
Northwestern New Jersey could see light snow flurries on Thursday and Friday in what could be the first snowfall of the season after a soaking rain on Wednesday night.National Weather Service and Canva
Rain pushes in after 10 p.m. Wednesday following a dry day with temperatures climbing into the upper 50s and low 60s, the National Weather Service said.
Winds will gust as high as 20 to 30 mph and forecasters say 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected from the initial round by Thursday morning in northern areas with a half-inch to an inch of rain likely elsewhere.
Another quarter-inch to three-quarters of inch of rain is expected to fall during the day on Thursday in areas along and north of the Interstate 78 corridor.
Some additional rain is also likely in Central Jersey but South Jersey might not get any more rain, though, as drier air pushes into that part of the state.
Thursday will be a cooler day with mostly cloudy skies and a good chance of more rain with highs generally ranging from the upper 40s to low 50s. A cold night follows with temperatures plunging into the 30s.
Friday will be a “chilly, raw” day with showers likely and gusty winds of up to 25 mpg, the weather service said in its morning forecast discussion.
Highs will only reach the 40s before dipping into the 30s at night.
We warm up and dry out on Saturday. There will be a mix of sun and clouds with high temps in the low 50s, though gusty winds will make it feel chillier.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday also are shaping up to be dry, sunny days with highs in the 50s.
Current weather radar
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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