Bergen County Prosecutor promises parents help in drug epidemic 1

An Open Letter about Heroin

Over the next few days, our office would like to extend some very stark and true thoughts on Bergen County’s heroin drug epidemic that is wreaking havoc amongst our young men and women, often resulting in death by overdose.

In each notice, we will share with you our thoughts and intentions over the enforcement of our New Jersey Law entitled STRICT LIABILITY FOR DRUG INDUCED DEATHS.
Most believe that our drug laws are applied to “street dealers”. To many, these “dealers” are the ones responsible for our drug epidemic. Think again. We are all responsible. Consider this scenario:

You run a good household in suburban Bergen County. You have a house, a great job and great kids who all went to college and are just starting out on the life that you have given them.
Your 23 year old son still lives at home, has a great job and a girlfriend. He is a good kid.
You have some Oxycodone pills in your medicine cabinet. You were prescribed them a year ago. You do not take them but they remain in your bathroom cabinet. You don’t know why. All of us have done this at some point in time.
Your son would never take the “oxy”. He is a good kid.
But your son’s girlfriend has a friend.
You don’t know this friend.
This friend has a drug problem and asks your son to get him an “oxy” pill.
Your son knows that he should not do it, but gives his girlfriend the “oxy” pill anyway to give to the friend.
The friend takes the pill. Unbeknownst to you, your son and his girlfriend, it’s his tenth of the day, in addition to many other pills that other friends have given him.
The friend dies from all of this. Not just the pill that your son’s girlfriend gave him, but based on everything that he took that day.
YOUR SON AND HIS GIRLFRIEND MAY BE CHARGED UNDER NEW JERSEY’S DRUG INDUCED DEATH LAW.
UPON CONVICTION, THEY MAY RECEIVE 20 YEARS IN PRISON, WITH A 17 YEAR PERIOD WHEN THEY WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE.
20 YEARS IN PRISON. FOR ONE OXYCODONE PILL. YOUR OXYCODONE PILL.
DO YOU STILL THINK THAT THIS LAW ONLY APPLIES TO STREET DEALERS?

Brought as a public service message, not at taxpayers’ expense, by the Office of the Bergen County Prosecutor. For more information, including information on how you can get rid of those old prescription drugs, call our office at 201-226-5758.

An Open Letter about the drug Epidemic

In our last notice, we told you about how New Jersey’s STRICT LIABILITY FOR DRUG INDUCED DEATHS law is playing a role here in Bergen County. It is a statute now being used more aggressively in the county by all law enforcement.
Here is another story:
YOU ARE A NICE, MIDDLE AGED COUPLE LIVING IN BERGEN COUNTY. BOTH OF YOU WORK AND HAVE PROVIDED WELL FOR YOUR CHILDREN, WHO ARE NOW IN THEIR LATE 20’S.
THEY ARE JUST STARTING THEIR LIVES. IN A FEW YEARS, THEY WILL MARRY AND HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN – YOUR GRANDCHILDREN.
BUT YOUR SON, WHO IS 27, STILL LIKES TO HAVE FUN AND WILL OFTEN GO OUT TO AREA NIGHT SPOTS. HE DOES NOT USE DRUGS. HE DOES NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. HE IS RESPONSIBLE. HE IS, AFTER ALL, YOUR SON.
AT ONE OF THE CLUBS, HE IS GIVEN AN ECSTASY PILL. YOU HAVE HEARD OF IT BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT IT IS.
IT IS A DRUG – A SERIOUS DRUG.
BUT YOUR SON IS A GOOD KID. HE WOULD NEVER TAKE ECSTACY.
SO HE GIVES IT TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS. JUST FOR HIM TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
HIS FRIEND TAKES IT. JUST TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
BUT YOUR SON DID NOT KNOW THAT HIS FRIEND HAD BEEN TAKING OTHER DRUGS THAT DAY. OXY, SOME MARIJUANA AND DEFINITELY ALCOHOL. A HALF HOUR AFTER TAKING THE ECSTACY PILL, HE IS IN SEVERE DEHYDRATION. HIS BLOOD PRESSURE DROPS AND HE PASSES OUT. ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, THE FRIEND DIES.
YOUR SON MAY BE CHARGED UNDER NEW JERSEY’S DRUG INDUCED DEATH LAW.
UPON CONVICTION, HE MAY RECEIVE 20 YEARS IN PRISON, WITH A 17 YEAR PERIOD WHEN HE WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE.
20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ONE ECSTACY PILL
STILL THINK THAT THE DRUG EPIDEMIC EXISTS IN PLACES OTHER THAN BERGEN COUNTY?

Brought as a public service message, not at taxpayers’ expense, by the Office of the Bergen County Prosecutor. For more information, including information on how you can get rid of those old prescription drugs, call our office at 201-226-5758.

Another Thought about Heroin

Our last two letters have talked about the enforcement of our New Jersey Law entitled STRICT LIABILITY FOR DRUG INDUCED DEATHS.

We know that many believe that our drug laws are applied to “street dealers”. Hopefully you have now seen how even the best young men and women may be susceptible to this law. We know that most readers will know just how hard it would be to have their son or daughter caught up in this law, with its hard consequences of 20 years in prison.
But there is a consequence even worse than that.
To lose someone due to an overdose to drugs, especially a child and regardless of their age, represents one of the most terrible and tragic things any person can endure.
We do not see our office and its function as one that merely arrests people. We want to see lower drug arrests and lower arrests for Strict Liability for Drug Induced Deaths. If the number of those arrests comes down, it will mean that the number of young men and women dying from drug overdoses is coming down as well. That is everyone’s goal.
So how can you help?
GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN EARLY AND SET GROUND RULES FOR YOUR HOUSE.
KNOW THE NAMES OF ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN’S FRIENDS, AND THEIR PARENTS AS WELL.
NOTICE ANY CHANGES IN THEIR LIFE. HAVE THEY CHANGED FRIENDS? LOST INTEREST IN SPORTS OR A HOBBY?
WATCH THEIR APPEARANCE. NOTICE THEIR APPETITE. HAVE YOU FOUND BURNED MATCHES IN THEIR BEDROOM? ARE THEY USING EXCESSIVE COLOGNE OR PERFUME?
GET RID OF ANY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT YOU KEEP IN YOUR HOUSE THAT YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY TAKING! DON’T THROW THEM OUT. CALL YOUR LOCAL POLICE. THEY WILL TELL YOU THE RIGHT WAY TO GET RID OF THEM.
BE A ROLE MODEL. SET AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUR KIDS. THEY ARE WATCHING YOU AND WANT TO BE LIKE YOU.

Brought as a public service message, not at taxpayers’ expense, by the Office of the Bergen County Prosecutor. For more information, including information on how you can get rid of those old prescription drugs, Call our office at 201-226-5758.