Morris County Observes 24th Anniversary of Overdose Awareness Day
Published on August 28, 2025
Stories of Loss and Hope Mark County’s Commitment to Battle Opioid Epidemic
Morris County officials, families of overdose victims and service providers recognized the 24th International Overdose Awareness Day by gathering today on the lawn of the Morris County Central Avenue Complex, where they remembered lost lives and raised awareness of the worldwide opioid crisis.
The event, organized by the county Division of Community & Behavioral Health Services, marked the sixth consecutive year Morris County has observed Overdose Awareness Day, which is recognized annually on Aug. 31. The ceremony also recognized Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Day, observed every July 14, and featured personal reflections from family members who have lost loved ones to overdose as well as individuals who shared their journeys of sobriety and recovery.
View Photos from Morris County Overdose Awareness Day
“Morris County has seen a steady decline in overdose tragedies since 2017, but it is important to stay vigilant, because behind every statistic is a son, a daughter, a friend or a loved one -- and the fight to protect people from this crisis is never over,” said Commissioner Christine Myers. “The county has invested $820,000 in opioid settlement funds over the past two years to support prevention, Narcan training and recovery services. These efforts are saving lives.”
State Sen. Anthony Bucco, who sponsored legislation designating Aug. 31 as Overdose Awareness Day in New Jersey in 2020, delivered opening remarks.
“Addiction does not have to end in tragedy. Help and hope are always possible,” said Sen. Bucco. “Morris County immediately jumped in after the legislation was passed, starting programs and bringing us back year after year to remember -- and to work for a day when substance abuse is a thing of the past.”
Nationally, overdose deaths have declined in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2024, 80,391 lives were lost to overdose, down 27 percent from 110,037 in 2023.
“Morris County has made progress, but human lives are precious and all are worth rescuing. Our work here is a life-saving mission, and we must continue to see a reduction in these tremendous losses,” said Sheriff James Gannon. “I am so proud of all our efforts, from Hope One to our many partnerships, but today I especially want to recognize Cpl. Erica Valvano, the ‘Mother of Hope One.’ Erica has saved many of the lives included in that progress. This is timely and coincidental today, as Erica works her last day here in Morris County -- I want to thank her for the direct and incredible impact she has made!”
Morris County Chief Sheriff’s Officer Aaron D. Tomasini also spoke at the event, highlighting law enforcement’s ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis. The county’s response is supported by partnerships among county departments, law enforcement agencies and more than 75 service providers. Key initiatives include the Sheriff’s Office Re-Entry Program, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI), Community Connections, the Hope One mobile unit, Hope Hub, Navigating Hope (a mobile outreach program run by the Morris County Department of Human Services and Family Promise of Morris County), the Mental Health Association of Morris County and the county’s Overdose Fatality Review Team.
Narcan, an over-the-counter drug that reverses opioid overdoses, has also played a critical role in saving lives. Since 2017, the Hope One team has distributed nearly 12,000 Narcan kits, with 185 reported uses to save or attempt to save lives. The program has made more than 1,800 referrals to recovery and support services, and its model has been replicated in eight other counties.
Law enforcement officials continue to face challenges from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and xylazine. Fentanyl, which is increasingly mixed with xylazine -- an animal tranquilizer resistant to Narcan -- has become dominant in the illicit drug market.
“In New jersey, the crisis keeps evolving. Pills became heroin, heroin became fentanyl, and now we see fentanyl mixed with other poisons,” said Brad Seabury, Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor. “Just recently, about three-quarters of opioids seized here in Morris County contained xylazine.”
Seabury noted that Narcan has played a critical role in saving lives. Law enforcement officers reversed 162 overdoses in 2022, 144 in 2023, 96 in 2024 and 39 so far this year.
“The trend is encouraging,” he said. “It means lives are being saved, and fewer emergency calls are ending in tragedy.”
The ceremony concluded with a remembrance led by Carol Egan, founder of the Global Recovery Movement, who has been a leader in prevention efforts for more than three decades. An opening prayer was offered by Pastor Chuck Corradino of Butler Church of the Nazarene, and Rabbi Moshe Rudin of Adath Shalom in Parsippany closed the ceremony.
The annual ceremony serves as a solemn reminder of the ongoing struggle against addiction and the need for continued compassion, action and community support.
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Photo 1: (l-r) Carol Egan, Morris County Human Services Director Kasey Errico, Commissioner Christine Myers and Sen. Anthony Bucco.
Photo 2: (l-r) Jennifer Bolan with a photo of her son Michael; Nancy Widman remembers her son Michael; Rebecca Finnerty lost her son Justin; Carol Egan; and Lou Filler with a photo of her son Benjamin.