Ex-NBA player to speak at N.J. heroin crisis summit

Chris Herren, clean since 2008, will be the keynote speaker at the Community Addiction Summit on Dec. 9 in Camden County.

BLACKWOOD -- A former NBA star -- who was pronounced dead for 30 seconds after a drug-involved 2008 car accident -- will be the keynote speaker for an upcoming heroin crisis summit to address the issue in Camden County.

Chris Herren, clean since 2008, will be among those attending the Community Addiction Summit on Dec. 9 that will address the issue seen all across Camden County -- where usage is on the rise, officials said.

"The scourge of heroin is ripping apart our families and killing our residents," said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. "It is imperative for us to act on this crisis and bring the community together to address it. That starts with this summit, which will create partnerships to impact change in our county."

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The interactive summit will see Herren speak about his substance abuse struggle that went on during much of his professional career. During speaking engagements, he shares his experiences, struggles, getting sober and that it's never too late to overcome such adversity. Herren was an NBA player for two seasons and played internationally for six years.

Honored to have heard @c_herren speak to @Timberwolves staff and fans, his words encourage, enlighten, and empowered pic.twitter.com/D670avWTib

-- Hayley Di Naso (@TWolvesTicGal) November 15, 2015

"As a county, we know that no one is immune to the addiction of opiates and the summit will focus on prevention and treatment options," Cappelli said.  "Furthermore, the Philadelphia region has been identified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a main hub for heroin distribution in the Mid-Atlantic States."
 
An Addiction Awareness Task Force, created by the Camden County freeholder board, is also available to connect those battling addiction with treatment providers and other organizations that can provide resources and assistance.
 
"As an elected official, opiate addiction is one of my biggest concerns," Cappelli said. "Together, from parents to clergy, and every stakeholder in the county, we must unite to educate and treat this life threatening epidemic."

Camden County officials encouraged attendance from parents, middle and high school students, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, addiction treatment providers, social workers, law enforcement, prevention specialists and educators.

The Dec. 9 summit will be held at Highland High School, located at  450 Erial Road, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. To register, call (856) 216-2199 or visit www.camdencounty.com/summit. For addiction help and information, call the Addiction Awareness Task Force at (877) 266-8222.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.