The Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction is hosting a special event on Thursday, April 8th at 7pm -  "The First Choice and a Second Chance" featuring Stephen Hill, founder of Speak Sobriety.  Stephen is a motivational speaker, author and advocate for substance abuse prevention. He graduated with honors from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Brooklyn Law School.After suf...

It's that time again -- time to encourage all graduating high school seniors planning on attending college in the fall, as well as students currently enrolled in college, those in licensure programs and college seniors planning to attend graduate school to apply for the Geetha Arulmohan Scholarship Award.  This education scholarship is in the amount of $500 and is available to Merce...

When it comes to the opiate crisis, which has had a resurgence in fatal overdoses in the past year, we need to bring to bear every possible resource against it. The hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives during this crisis should compel us to adopt an all hands and all best-practices model. Yet we have not been doing everything possible to save lives from overdoses, including...

  In less than five minutes, you can make a big difference in the health and well-being of your community.  Every year, the Prevention Coaliiton of Mercer County distributes this survey in order to help us get a snapshot of our community's progress towards healthy, safe and drug-free environments.  It also assists us in making adjustments to our current and future strategic planning...

The stresses of the pandemic as well as the social isolation felt from distancing measures takes a toll on all of us.  Older adults and their caregivers are also a group that can been hit hard by feelings of loneliness, anxiety and boredom.  Find out in our next "Morning Conversations" how to build senior and caregiver resilience during the COVID pandemic and beyond with Dale Ofei-Ayisi....

In 2019, more than 3,000 people died of a drug overdose in New Jersey. This tragic total actually represented a decrease from the previous year and perhaps a positive sign of progress being made in the fight against the opioid crisis. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged New Jersey and the nation, overdose deaths have increased once again with the state on pace to experience roughly 3,200...

  On July 23rd, the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County, Mercer Council and WBCB 1490AM Radio collaborated together to broadcast an hour-long forum on the impact of COVID 19 on the student athletes' social and emotional well-being.  Panelists included Jon Adams, Athletic Director of Nottingham High School in Hamilton Township, Bill Bruno from NJSIAA and Dr. Mike Gross, a clinical and s...

                                                                              As New Jersey begins to slowly open up bars and restaurants, two alcohol establishments in Mercer County are taking advant...

  We are living through a pandemic that most of us have never experienced in our lifetimes.  Recessions, depressions, wars, the Spanish Influenza, COVID-19 – do you know what all these national crises have in common?  Alcohol sales flourish during times of uncertainty and stress.  Nationally, alcohol sales have increased in stores by 29% since late March – and 291% through onli...

  Recently, Merrill Reese of WBCB Radio, the "Voice of the Philadelphia Eagles" recorded two PSAs for the Prevention Coalition to help us spread awareness to parents of student athletes to keep them safe from prescription opioid misuse.  Student athletes are considered a high-risk population for opioid use and misuse because of their greater risk of injury and also becuase of a greater o...

Prevention happens all year round, but next week has traditionally been the official week to celebrate and promote prevention! It’s up to all of us to take part in preventing substance abuse in our communities. Check out some of the top federal publications, campaigns, and resources related to each of the NPW daily themes below, and visit the NPW Prevention Resources page for more resources from t...

Geetha Arulmohan was the Executive Director of Mercer Council for over fourteen years .It was her personal mission to reduce the devastation caused by addiction in the Mercer County area. Her dedication to her work was well known in the community over many years.  Prior to accepting the position of Executive Director of the Mercer Council, Geetha had been employed at the Crisis Center at...

      On April 8th, seventeen PCMC Coalition members met "virtually" through Zoom to particpate in our monthly meeting.  The COVID 19 quarantine does not prevent this amazing group from getting together and continuing our Coalition work!   After a discussion about how we are all coping through this unprecedented time, members discussed ways to continue working on important...

To our valued Community Partners -  We hope this email finds you safe and healthy. In light of the recent pandemic, Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction has decided after careful consideration, to close our office space in order to do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19.  Staff will be working from remotely, checking email, checking voicemail and responding at t...

The landscape is evolving rapidly regarding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with institutions restricting large gatherings, federal and state agencies restricting travel and the Governor declaring a state of emergency in New Jersey. Considering these actions, the planning committee determined it is best to postpone the April 2nd DRUGS: Get the Facts 2020 Summit for a few months...

As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, some pregnant women have turned to using marijuana to ease nausea or other pregnancy symptoms. However, researchers don’t know a lot about what the effects might be and while the research is in progress, most experts advise pregnant women not to use marijuana. The U.S. Surgeon General has this to say: I, Surgeon General VADM Jerome Adams,...

  Mercer Council and the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County are partnering with Rider University, the County Prosecutor's Office and the American Academy of Pediatrics to discuss local and national drug trends on April 2nd at a countywide forum.  The event will be held from 6 - 8pm at the Barty Leudeke Center - Cavalla Room on Rider University's campus in Lawrence Township.  The ...

Mercer Council and the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County are partnering with Rider University, the County Prosecutor's Office and the American Academy of Pediatrics to discuss local and national drug trends on April 2nd at a countywide forum.  The event will be held from 6 - 8pm at the Barty Leudeke Center - Cavalla Room on Rider University's campus in Lawrence Township.  The event i...

This week, Barbara Sprechman and Malissa Arnold  joined more than 3,000 substance misuse prevention specialists and advocates from throughout the country for CADCA's (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's) 30th Annual Leadership Forum at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.   CADCA's Forum covered a wide range of topics - everything from ho...

Last Friday I had the opportunity to train the bartending and wait staff from the Nassau Club of Princeton in responsible beverage training (TIPS).  The focus of TIPS training is to empower participants to follow accceptable standards of practice for serving alcohol beverages.  It is a skills-based training program designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving.&n...