Mercer Council News

Research studies have shown that the human brain is not fully developed until some point our mid twenties.  Prevention science teaches us that delaying the first use of any substance until at least the age of 19 can significantly decrease the chances of having a substance use disorder in our lifetime.  These messages are important for everyone to know, however, it is particularly difficu...

On Saturday, October 20th, Mercer Council and the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County held the first annual Chess Fest event at the Trenton YMCA.  Chess Fest is a family fun event that is free to all Mercer County youth interested in learning or playing chess.  The primary goal of this event is for children to develop an interest in an activity that engages their minds and lowers the c...

Great news! We are finally moved into our new space. The Available School Youth Service Support Team (ASYSST) was previously located outside the school in an adjacent building, and has moved inside the school!!  We could not be more excited to be conveniently located.  It makes us feel more involved with the school and the Students.  The transition was not an easy one, yet we p...

On Saturday, October 20th, Mercer Council will be co-sponsoring the first Chess Fest event for youth in Mercer County at the YMCA of Trenton.  Chess Fest is a family fun event whose primary goal is for children to develop an interest in an activity that engages their minds and lowers the chances thay they will engage in unhealthy behaviors such as substance abuse and violence.  Chess hel...

This September, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is observing Pain Awareness Month to educate and empower people living with chronic conditions that cause pain. Along with the many valuable opioids abuse resources on our website, we'd like to share with you additional information about pain management and how physician anesthesiologists can help safey and effectively manage pain fro...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I can not say it enough.  What a success we have had for our first Benefit Luncheon and Silent Auction!  We were able to raise more than $1000 for the Geetha Arulmohan Schollarship.  Thank you to all who helped, attended, donated, and shared.  Here are a few photos from our event. Jocelyn Cooper, Executive Director  Antonia Lewis, Board Mem...

Volunteers Sought For “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day” October 6th

Volunteers are needed to participate in a “feet on the ground” grass roots effort to educate medical professionals and the public on the dangers of opiate abuse during a statewide initiative on October 6^th called “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.”

“This statewide event is geared to educating medical professionals about the opiate addiction epidemic and what solutions are available,” said Barbara Sprechman, a coalition coordinator for Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. 

Sprechman said volunteers will be visiting doctors’ and dentists’ offices to promote the Centers for Disease Control guidelines about how medical professionals can safely prescribe opiate-based drugs.

“Whenever possible, medical professionals should be encouraging their patients to start with over-the counter pain medications to relieve their symptoms before prescribing opiate-based drugs.  Rather than prescribing 40 Percocet after wisdom teeth extraction, tell them to try Advil and prescribe only two or three pills.  Adolescents who are prescribed opioid pain killers are more prone to addiction later in life.”

If a teenager is prescribed opiate drugs before high school graduation, it raises the risk of future opioid abuse by 33 percent, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey.  The organization also stated that in 2012, health care professionals wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain relievers, which is enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills. 

Sprechman said that the October 6^th event is a grass roots effort to bring awareness of the opiate addiction, with people going door-to-door to medical offices around the county and also throughout the community.    “We want volunteers to collect the informational materials and then distribute them in their neighborhoods, their local gyms, everywhere!” 

For those interested in volunteering in Mercer County, please contact Barbara Sprechman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for materials.  Thank you for spreading this important message!

The Surgeon General VADM Jerome Adams has stated that "knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life".  Every quarter, Mercer Council and the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County partners with JSAS HealthCare, Inc. to provide Narcan (naloxone) training to anyone interested in this lifesaving medication. This quarter, our training will be held on September 20th at 6 ...

One of my first assignments at Mercer Council was the 2nd Annual International Overdose event, held last year in Hamilton. I received all of the registration calls, and with those calls, came stories of questioning, heartbreak, and hope.  I heard stories of sons and daughters taken too soon; of a young father leaving behind 2 and 4-year-old sons; a young girl experimenting for the first and l...

Mercer Council is celebrating its 40th Anniversary! Please join us on Tuesday, September 25th, 2018 from 11:30am to 1:30pm at Leonardo's Restaurant in Lawrence Township and help us celebrate 40 years of service directed at building a healthier, safer and more responsible community! Our event will include a delicious full lunch and an opportunity to participate in our silent auction, which is a gre...

The Prevention Coalition of Mercer County has just received a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program continuation grant to prevent youth substance use, including prescription drugs, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol.  The DFC program, created by the DFC Act of 1997 is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use and is directed by the Office of the Nat...

As the start to the new school year approaches, it is important to ensure all children are buckled up, seated properly in vehicles, and are aware what to do to protect themselves if they ever find themselves riding in a vehicle with an unsafe driver. The image below contains safe riding tips for children. In the event a child finds him or herself riding with an unsafe driver, it is crucial to tell...

For the 4th year, Mercer Council will be co-sponsoring the Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton (FAMUBT) annual Community Day. This is a free event open to all Mercer County residents with lots of free food, entertainment, community vendors, and, of course, backpack giveaways for students. Come out this Saturday, August 25th from 11am to 7pm for this great event located at Cadwalder Pa...

September is National Recovery Month. What does this mean? Well, it means that this is a time each year that gets attention to all those people in and/or supporting someone else in recovery. Addiction affects millions of people; in fact in 2014 alone, 21.5 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). It is very easy to only ...

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held one day during the last week in August each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. This is a beautiful, powerful, meaningful evening and a ...

OPIOID MISUSE PREVENTION DAY  Prescription Opioid Drug Abuse is a worldwide epidemic that has plagued The United Statesd from coast to coast. The most abused medications are opiates, or pain relievers such as : oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone,codeine, and percocet. The amount of prescription painkillers prescribed, and sold in the US has substantially increased. The emergency department adm...

Boom, there goes the Thunder! Mercer Council staff outing to Trenton Thunder baseball game on 8/8/18  Vanessa DeRosa, Malissa Arnold, Boomer Mascot, Ian Smith, Lisa Kauffman  Rookie, the bat dog! Cloudman, Trenton Thunder mascot Brian Bittings enjoying the game from the stands  Home team wins!

The Mercer Council and Prevention Coalition of Mercer County were proud to be represented at 9 different National Night Out (NNO) locations throughout Mercer County.  National Night Out is an event that seeks to foster and enhance the relationships between neighborhoods/comminuties and various law enforcement agencies.  At the Lawrence Township NNO, Jocelyn Cooper engaged with children, ...

Each year, nearly one quarter of the 7.5 million high school athletes in America sustain a sports-related injury. A study of 1,540 adolescents conducted by the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, found that participating in high school sports made it more likely that young men had taken and misused an opioid prescription within the last year compared to their ...

Mercer Council Staff, family and friends group shot.. thanks to Hal Sprechman's camera stand! Amy Argiriou and family, Gwen Jennings and family! Vanessa DeRosa and family, Ian Smith, Argiriou Family Jocelyn Cooper and Lisa Kauffman Food Tent! Charcuterie Board, brought to us by Nadine Cooper (Jocelyn's mom)! Staff and family enjoying the delicious food!  Each picnic goer brought a dish to sha...