Drug Recognition Expert to Talk Prevention With Parents at High School

The war on drugs has moved into suburban communities with parents and their teens involuntarily placed on the front lines in recent years, and towns like Washington Township are just as impacted as any other.

Oftentimes diagnosing a person’s addiction to drugs and alcohol can come too late, and the focus shift has moved to prevention, namely how to interpret the behavior someone who is using drugs and paraphernalia associated with those drugs.

Sponsored by the Washington Township Municipal Alliance Committee, a seminar for parents will be held at West Morris Central High School on Thursday, May 15 at 7 p.m. to help learn more about teen substance abuse.

Former Mt. Olive police officer Joe Abrusci will present “The 411 On Drugs,” which will cover the current trends, dangers and myths of drugs and alcohol in today’s society; current popular drugs of abuse and paraphernalia used to conceal it; commercial clothing lines marketed to the drug culture; signs of drug use; synthetic drugs, recreational use of prescription drugs and over the counter products that may pose dangers to unsuspecting users.

Abrusci spent more than 30 years in law enforcement and is a recognized expert in the area of drug impairment and identification.

No registration is required and the program is free.

This time last year the Municipal Alliance Committee co-sponsored the presentation by former National Basketball Association player Chris Herren, whose career and life spiraled out of control due to drug and alcohol abuse. The event led to multiple presentations by Herren throughout the state in the past year, including a Morris County-sponsored session in Mt. Olive in April.

“The 411 On Drugs” is for parents and will be held in the high school auditorium.

Editor's note: This article originally ran on April 27.