The Brick Township municipal complex. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The Brick Township Municipal Alliance Committee, locally known as B-MAC, is being restored by township officials after its status as a state-sponsored organization was changed under a previous township council – and the township is requesting help from residents in plotting its future.
B-MAC, for many years of its existence, was the largest of the state’s many municipal alliance committees, organizations at the local level that receive state support to combat substance abuse. But in 2011, the township council took B-MAC out of the state program in order to use employees who were working full time with the organization for other tasks in town.
In July, the current governing body took the step of restoring B-MAC to align with the state program, only this time officials say there will be no paid employees and the Brick program will rely on volunteers from the community to operate.
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On Monday, the township announced that it has applied for a grant to reinstitute B-MAC, but in order to obtain the funding, a survey of community members is required.
“Your participation is anonymous,” the township confirmed in a statement.
The survey poses several questions to respondents about their views on underage drinking and substance abuse issues in the community.
Councilwoman Andrea Zapcic, who spearheaded the task of restoring the organization, has said it is especially important to have a strong anti substance abuse program in town given Ocean County’s struggle with heroin over the past several years.
“The youth and adults of the Township of Brick
are being impacted more than any other time in our history by substance abuse,” the statement said. “We must combat the epidemic of drug abuse that is stealing these lives in record numbers.”
Brick Life
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