Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg and Chief Assistant State Attorney Alan Johnson were honored with the 2019 Pillar of Excellence Award for Criminal Justice by the Addiction Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., on June 24.
The organization recognized Aronberg and Johnson for the success of their Sober Homes Task Force, which has helped clean up fraud and abuse in the drug treatment and sober home industries and led to a 40 percent drop in opioid overdose deaths in Palm Beach County in 2018.
The Addiction Policy Forum is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem. The awards presentation took place during a dinner attended by members of congress and former directors of the Office of Drug Control Policy, including retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award on behalf of all the dedicated individuals who have saved lives from this opioid epidemic, whether by passing tougher laws, cracking down on rogue sober homes and treatment centers, increasing access to Narcan as a heroin antidote, and providing follow-up care to break the cycle of addiction,” Aronberg said.
Johnson, a Wellington resident, heads the Sober Homes Task Force.
“To be recognized for helping save lives in this national crisis, knowing that there are so many good people working together to make a difference, is the ultimate reward,” he said.
Aronberg agreed. “We have made real progress and know there is still more work to do,” he added.
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