September marks the 14th annual observance of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. We encourage everyone in the Garden State to celebrate recovery from addictions.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in our state who are recovering from the chronic but treatable diseases of addictions; they include our employers, neighbors, colleagues, friends and maybe our relatives as well as ourselves. Most of us know someone who is in recovery.

We applaud these individuals in recovery for coping successfully with their problems every day.

Treatment for addictions is effective and recovery is possible. For more than 706,000 New Jerseyans who are in need of treatment for their addiction to alcohol or drugs, we encourage you to get help. We urge families and individuals in the throes of addiction to reach out for help; there is hope and there is help available.On Sept. 21, Recovery Walk 2003 will take place at Liberty State Park, Jersey City. For more information, call (888) 872-3979. We ask people to join us in a celebration of recovery from addictions. September is the special month to celebrate recovery from addictions.

Barry W. Johnson

New Jersey Association

of County Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Director

Freehold