New Life Executives Meet With The Evesham Police Department
Executives from New Life Medical Addiction Services met with members of the Evesham Township Police Department to share the latest on the dangerous drugs that are proliferating in this region and what officers can expect to encounter as they perform their duties.
Located in Marlton, New Life is a leading outpatient addiction center that is changing the way that people manage their misuse and addiction to alcohol and drugs. Instead of checking into an expensive inpatient treatment center that could be halfway across the country, New Life’s patients receive their care at their state-of-the-art facility and then go home to be with their families.
Jason Siitonen of the Evesham Township Police Department, who was recently promoted to Captain, is in charge of the Township’s officer wellness program. Captain Siitonen invited Joel Albano and former Philadelphia Flyer Todd Fedoruk to speak to the officers about the current state of drug proliferation and use in New Jersey.
Captain Jason Siitonen of Evesham Township Police Department hosts Joel Albano and Todd Fedoruk of New Life Medical Addiction Services to discuss the drug crisis and the dangers that officers face when they are trying to assist people struggling with addiction.
Joel Albano, who is New Life’s Chief Administration Officer and Co-Founder began the presentation by talking about what he is seeing in terms of drugs and addiction in our community.
Joel screens New Life’s patients for the drugs they are using and what he is seeing in his lab reports is disturbing. According to Joel, the two most dangerous drugs that are on the streets today are Fentanyl and Carfentanil.
Joel explained to the officers that Carfentanil is such a potent drug that the equivalent of 1 grain of salt of this potent drug could kill them if they touch it without a glove. The same is true of the dangerous opioid Fentanyl. “Fentanyl is in everything” explained Joel. “They are putting it in cocaine, the cartridges for oils for pot…someone thinks they are buying pot, but if they got it off the street and not from a legitimate state-run facility, it could be laced with something”.
New Life’s Chief Administration Officer, Joel Albano, talks to officers at the Evesham Police Department about the danger that Fentanyl and Carfentanil pose to them in their everyday duties.
Joel went on to explain some of the dangers that officers will encounter when they are attempting to help someone who is in the throes of addiction. Joel described the loss of control that some of these people will experience and that police officers need to take precautions in these encounters so that they and the people they are trying to help stay safe.
The next to speak was Todd Fedoruk, Chief Operating Officer at New Life. Most people know Todd from his role as a legendary player on the Philadelphia Flyers. Todd has now become a defender for the patients who come to New Life to free themselves from disease of addiction. Todd now channels his energies into helping people who are struggling with addiction and who want to make positive change in their lives.
Todd’s life story has given him the credibility and insight to the help the people who come to New Life. As he explains, “When you are talking to somebody who is experiencing addiction and you look them in the eyes, you better damn sure know what you are talking about.”
Todd is also a huge advocate for our police and wants to make sure that put themselves in a position to help people and to stay safe themselves. “The gravity of what we’re dealing with is monumental and you guys see it firsthand on the street. So, part of my message is that you can be the hand of hope. You can be the person that saves someone’s life”.
In recent years, police departments across the country have come to the conclusion that they need to embrace a more sophisticated approach to dealing with addiction. Captain Siitonen is on the vanguard of this movement and his concern for the public and his officers is evident.
The management and staff at New Life is proud to be associated with such a fine police department and we welcome the opportunity for increased engagement in coming years.
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