Christie bucked State of the State tradition and made fighting drug addiction the focus of his annual address. Watch video
TRENTON -- Forcefully declaring "our neighbors are dying," Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday focused most of his seventh annual address on his plans to fight drug addiction during his remaining time in office.
Christie, limping into his last full year in office with an approval ranking him as one of the most unpopular governors in the state's modern history, called on lawmakers to join him in his push to "fight this fight more aggressively."
Christie added: "Let's work to save lives together and let's start today."
He laid out his plans in a sometimes somber, heartfelt and passionate address that lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, with about an hour of it focused solely on drug addiction.
He started the speech by boasting about economic success and strides the state has taken. But Christie quickly delved in to the "crisis of drug addiction" and announced about a dozen new initiatives.
"I will not have the blood of addicted New Jerseyans on my hands by waiting to act," Christie intends to tell a joint session of lawmakers.
Full text of Christie's State of the State
"This is the face of the epidemic of addiction that is ravaging our state and its people. In fact, it is ravaging our entire country," he said. "Our friends are dying. Our neighbors are dying. Our co-workers are dying. Our children are dying. Every day. In numbers we can no longer ignore."
He encouraged lawmakers to support legislation that would mandate that nobody with health insurance can be denied coverage for the first six months of in-patient or outpatient treatment and announced an additional $5 million for the statewide expansion of what he said was a successful pilot program on pediatric behavioral health.
The governor also announced an initiative to press the state's attorney general to try and limit the supply of opioid-based pain medications by health care providers from 30 days to five days.
Christie unveiled plans for "a one-stop website" to enhance awareness regarding treatment options and put addiction information in one place. He also announced plans to invest $12 million to pay for treatment for young adults and $1 million for college housing programs set up for students in recovery.
The governor said the state plans to partner with Koch Industries "to work collaboratively with New Jersey based companies to challenge ourselves and long accepted exclusions for employment of the formerly incarcerated."
He dubbed it the "Christie plan to attack the epidemic of drug addiction" in New Jersey.
"I am ready to work with and listen to anyone with more ideas on how to address this issue," Christie said. "I am willing to accept ideas from any corner of this state, from any political party and from any level of government."
In his impassioned speech, Christie told individual stories of recovery, including that of AJ Solomon, the 26-year-old son of Supreme Court Justice Lee Solomon and BPU Commissioner Dianne Solomon.
AJ Solomon, who once confided to the governor that he would stop in North Camden on his way to the Statehouse to buy heroin for the day when he worked on Christie's advance team, had friends who went to jail and friends who died as he lived on the streets during the height of his drug addiction.
"Three years ago today I was homeless. I was living out of my car in Florida and I wanted to die," he said.
Currently, he's nearly three years sober and since turned his attention to others battling addiction. He is preparing to open an extended care treatment facility in Laurel Springs in February.
But even though a White House bid that found him out of state for the majority of his second term was cut short about a year ago, Christie's State of the State again had a national audience in mind.
"During our campaign for president, it was often said that we were the loudest voice discussing this challenge for our nation," Christie said. "I want us to make New Jersey the example for our entire nation on how to compassionately and effectively help family's through this personal hell."
Ahead of the address, sources close to the governor leaked details of the speech to a national news outlet while rebuffing local news outlets attempts to get a glimpse at the governor's text.
Christie's drug addiction address comes as new data showed New Jersey's heroin death rate was more than two times more the skyrocketing nationwide rate in 2015.
New Jersey's opioid crisis has only deepened and expanded, killing at least 918 in 2015. More alarming is that its chemical cousin, the ultra-potent fentanyl, was implicated in more than 400 deaths after being responsible for just 46 two years before.
In the Midwest, scores have died after using carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer so powerful a snowflake's worth could be lethal.
Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show New Jersey is setting a grim pace -- the rate at which heroin and fentanyl are killing in the Garden State far outpaces the national average, though those figures are soaring themselves.
"I will dedicate my final year as governor to all of New Jersey's families," Christie said.
"That mission is my mission over the next 373 days as governor," he said. "I hope you will join me in this mission."
Christie highlights drug recovery
Mental health and drug addiction groups lauded the governor's speech.
"In addition to these very meaningful and impactful initiatives, Governor Christie has frequently reinforced the fact that addiction is a disease and must be treated the same as all other health conditions," Debra Wentz, president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, said in a statement.
Last month, Christie's job approval rating dropped to one of the lowest ever recorded in a New Jersey opinion poll as a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey showed just 18 percent approved of his performance in office.
Christie's job-approval rating was the lowest ever recorded in the FDU poll. In addition, more than 7 in 10 voters felt Christie should have been on trial in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.
NJ Advance Media staff writer Stephen Stirling contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook.