Newark is facing an escalating drug crisis, with heroin and opioids turning public spaces into open-air drug markets. Areas like parks and downtown have seen a rise in drug activity, raising safety concerns for residents and business owners. Many are afraid to walk the streets, while others worry about the impact on their businesses.
New Jersey has recorded more than 1,702 suspected overdose deaths this year, with 296 of those in Essex County, according to the State Chief Medical Examiner Office.
More than seven fatalities were reported from the week of Dec. 2 to Dec. 8 alone.
While there has been a national decrease of approximately 10.6% in drug-related deaths compared to previous years – including 447 in Essex County last year – this does not mean the fight against this crisis in public spaces is over.
Reporter Mark Bonamo, who has covered Newark for the past decade for TAPinto Newark, PolitickerNJ, and more recently, The New York Times, lives in Newark and says drug activity is a big concern for residents.
“There’s a major drug trade going on,” Bonamo said. “People walking around, high on fentanyl.”
A 2023 report by the New Jersey Drug and Alcohol Use Treatment Agency highlighted Newark as the primary municipality of Essex County’s drug crisis. The city has the majority of those admitted for heroin, marijuana and opioids use. Approximately 64% of those admitted for heroin use in Essex County were from Newark, as were 61% of those admitted for using cocaine or crack, 57% of those admitted for using marijuana or hashish and 65% of those admitted for using other opioids.
NEWARK, NJ, 12-14-2024. SUSPECTED SUBTANCES USE IN PUBLIC SPACES: Individuals use susbtances outside a plaza in Clinton Avenues, a commercial area with some businesses like fast-food restaurant, such as McDonalds, liquor store, laundry, near a bus stop and in front of a supermarket. Some other people have been previosly seen and identified by law enforcement, in this near. Adarlin Batista | The Montclarion
Given these alarming statistics, many residents are concerned.
Carlos Minaya, owner of Eliancy Grocery Store for two and a half years, faces challenges in adapting to the environment and keeping his store safe.
“We are very affected by issues related to drugs and alcohol,” Minaya said. “They get aggressive, spit at you, break the windows of the establishment.”
He says this has been one of the factors affecting his sales. However, he feels there is much more the city can do to protect the community.
“Sometimes they come in high and want you to give them things for free. Sometimes you can’t, sometimes you cannot,” Minaya said. “They should support more those businesses that are so prominent in this situation.”
As stated by the Newark Public Safety Collaborative, open-air drug markets typically occur in public spaces or predesignated locations, such as transportation hubs, parks or street corners.
Drug users sometimes move from one area to another, in some cases trying to avoid law enforcement or efforts to clear specific spaces. Bonamo says this can affect the numbers.
“There is a term for this, that they use sometimes ‘colloquially’ called ‘Whack-a-mole,'” Bonomo said. “It’s the idea that you knock a problem down in one area, and then it just pops up in another.”
City, state, and federal agencies, including the Essex County Drug Enforcement Administration, the police department, and the NJ Attorney General’s Office, have reported several drug-related cases and arrests in 2023-2024.
The latest drug–related hospital visits, according to a 2023 report by New Jersey Department of Health, show that there were around 3,275 number of visits in Essex County. However, this goes beyond that.
Drugs and people in critical condition have been disrupting public spaces and educational institutions. Last week, Middlesex County authorities made several arrests after discovering a narcotic operation using a private social media network, utilized by Rutgers University Students, to sell and purchase drugs. Based on the investigation, they were able to order and distribute drugs from within Rutgers University.
NEWARK, NJ, 10-21-2024. VISIBLE DRUG USERS: A drug user named “Eugine” consumes substances in public while sitting in a wheelchair near of Penn Station in Newark, some of the effects of which have left him with physical issues. Adarlin Batista | The Montclarion
One drug user, “Eugine” found near Penn Station, was so impaired he could hardly speak. Despite this, he attempted to share his struggle with the addiction and his desire to get better for a meaningful cause.
“I want to move forward. I want to do better,” he said, his voice cracking and tears filling his eyes. “I started saying who I am. I want my kids back… and that hurts.”
In 2021, Newark opened new housing facilities like Hope Village, where residents also receive substance abuse and mental health counseling. This summer, Newark’s Director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services Luis Ulerio, announced the opening of the second iteration of Hope Village, the “Come As You Are” Bridge Housing Community. This initiative is primarily aimed at ending homelessness altogether.
In addition to these efforts, in 2023, the city received a $2.9 million federal grant to address substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues. Mayor Ras Baraka said the city views substance abuse as a public safety issue, and that residents “share responsibility to pull each other up.”
Despite the city’s efforts to address the crisis through federal funding and other policy changes, such as Gov. Murphy signing statewide legislation to expand access to crucial harm reduction supplies, residents feel the impact of the drug crisis daily and believe that more immediate action is needed.
“There is some attention given to them but is not enough considering how detrimental the issues are,” said Khadija Kem-Petrez, a resident of Newark.
“We do need support from the city,” said Guillermo Dominguez, director of the nonprofit Hogar CREA, who has stepped in to support these people. “Here the government gives us nothing – like, nothing.”
NEWARK, NJ, 10-21-2024. SMOKING CIGARRETTE IN PENN STATION CORNER : A man smokes cigarrette in the corner of Penn Station, in Newark. Near the train station, drug users haven been previously seen and identified by the law enforncement. Adarlin Batista | The Montclarion
While the effects of addiction continue to impact communities and take action in public places, some experts like Bonomo remain hopeful that with sustained efforts, the situation can improve.
“The government is here to serve the public,” said Bonomo. “Maybe there’s hope. that these, in the long term, will have the social and political will to address these problems.”
This article was assisted by AI and reviewed for accuracy.
