Around 100 residents who have lost a relative to a drug overdose turned out for a candlelight vigil in Lincoln Park in Jersey City this past Wednesday. The event was organized by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
During the event, members of the Prosecutor’s Office gave a rundown of statistics from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention which show that, nationwide over the past several years, the number of drug overdose fatalities has gone down.
The evening was meant to remember those individuals who have lost their lives to drug and substance abuses, and to remind those in attendance that help is available from a number of sources. It was also stressed that the devastating disease of addiction does not mean that those afflicted are not loved by family members and friends.
Among the speakers at the event were parents, some being recovering addicts themselves, who have lost children to drug overdoses.
There were also many health care vendors on hand giving out informational pamphlets and literature, as well as the Jersey City Police Department and troopers from the New Jersey State Police Department.