2025 Learning Series Drives Conversations About Opioid Misuse
Millburn, NJ, Nov. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthcare professionals and members of the public from New Jersey and beyond received timely information and practical guidance in the fight against opioid misuse through the 2025 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series.
The Learning Series’ monthly webinars drew more than 10,000 attendees in 2025, including participants from fields including health care, education and law enforcement, as well as prevention, treatment and recovery professionals Organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) in collaboration with the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA), the series covers a broad range of topics, from prevention and recovery to trauma, stigma and building resilience in those working on the front lines.
Beyond educating the public about the opioid epidemic, the series provided tools and strategies specific to health care workers and other professionals in related fields to help them make informed decisions in their work. Participants earned more than 6,000 continuing education credits, a testament to the program’s commitment to empowering professionals to drive real-world change in their communities. The Learning Series provided credits for various professions, including physicians, dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, optometrists, social workers, certified health education specialists, and EMTs.
Over the years, participants have heard from experts representing the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the New Jersey Department of Health, the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as numerous universities, hospitals, and state and local organizations involved in combating the opioid epidemic. Presenters in 2025 included Dr. Holly L. Geyer of Mayo Clinic Arizona; Dr. Edouard Coupet Jr. of the Yale Program of Addiction Medicine; Dr. Dan Blalock of the Duke University School of Medicine; Dr. Melissa Pielech of Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies; and Jennifer Austin, Field Intelligence Manager for the DEA’s New Jersey Division.
“This year’s Learning Series has brought together an extraordinary group of experts and thousands of engaged participants,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “Every credit earned and every conversation sparked represents another step toward stronger, healthier communities. The continued commitment from health care providers, educators, law enforcement, and advocates shows just how determined our state and our nation are to finding real solutions to the opioid epidemic.”
The series also serves as part of the annual Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day initiative, held every October 6 to raise awareness about the risks of opioid misuse and educate residents and prescribers statewide. Its growth year over year underscores the need for evidence-based education and practical solutions to combat this epidemic.
The 2025 learning series will conclude at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 4, with a session titled “Reexamining the Opioid Crisis: A Year in Review.” It will feature Captain Jason Piotrowski, Executive Officer of the Forensic and Technical Services Section of the New Jersey State Police. For more information, visit knockoutday.drugfreenj.org
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Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
Lisa Batitto Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey 973-467-2100 news@drugfreenj.org
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