Christie To Hold Prescription Drug Abuse Event

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Chris Christie is getting ready to announce a new partnership aimed at combatting prescription drug abuse.

Christie will make the announcement Tuesday in New Brunswick at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. He'll also meet with medical professionals there.

The Republican governor has made combatting drug addiction one of his signature issues as he weighs a run for president in 2016.

Christie headlined a conference at a Newark church last week aimed at reducing the stigma associated with addiction.

Officials warn prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in the state.

In 2010, state-licensed or certified substance abuse treatment programs logged 7,238 admissions stemming from prescription painkiller abuse. That was up by nearly 2,000 from the previous year.

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