As Overdose Crisis Escalates New Jersey State Candidates Owe it to Communities to Respond to Questionnaire on Ending Drug War

ASBURY PARK (November 3, 2017) – Help Not Handcuffs, Inc. is calling on New Jersey State Candidates to respond to its survey so that individuals, families and communities can know where these leaders stand on issues critical to ending the drug war. The survey, which was sent to every candidate seeking state office, polls the candidate’s willingness to end forcible treatment, promote harm reduction, decriminalize drug use, legalize marijuana and enact oversight and accountability of police and other institutions.

“Some sources are citing a 2000% increase in fentanyl overdose deaths in the past few years (a prohibition caused harm) so we need to know what these candidates are going to do differently, because the current approach of enforcing prohibition and treatment is completely impotent to slow the overdoses.” Said Randy Thompson, CEO of Help Not Handcuffs, Inc. “Both front runners for the Governor’s Office are from Monmouth County, one of the most heavily impacted Counties suffering from the overdose crisis – we would like to hear from them” Thompson said.

As the national conversation on overdoses, police violence and the failures of the drug war continue, successful programs that eliminate the threat of fentanyl, like Heroin Assisted Treatment, or have proven to avoid overdose deaths like Supervised Injection Facilities have not even entered the conversation in New Jersey. Other nations have significantly reduced their “epidemics” and mitigated their overdoses by implementing the policy actions in the survey. As our loved ones die or have their lives ruined by failed drug war prohibition, these critical questions go unanswered by many candidates.

Candidates who have already responded are:

Seth Kaper-Dale, Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate

Michael B. Cooke, Democratic Party General Assembly Candidate, Legislative District 10

Emma Mammano, Democratic Party State Senate Candidate, Legislative District 10

Sean Stratton, Green Party State Senate Candidate, Legislative District 18

Joseph Aubourg, Candidate for General Assembly, Legislative District 20

Sumantha Prasad, Independent Candidate for General Assembly, Legislative District 22

Dev Goswami, Independent Candidate for General Assembly, Legislative District 38

Jim Tosone, Libertarian Candidate for State Senate, Legislative District 39

Michael Chazukow and Jon Salzman, Libertarian Candidates for West Milford Township

The responses to the Help Not Handcuffs, Inc. 2017 Candidate Survey can be viewed here:

http://www.helpnothandcuffs.org/results—candidate-survey-2017.html

Candidate responses will continue to be added until Election Day.

Contact:


Randy Thompson

Info@HelpNotHandcuffs.org

908-444-2449