GPU Chairman issues National Call to Action about the Growing Cost of Doing Nothing at N.J. Heroin Summit.

MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1998--GPU Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Hafer told more than 700 community members today that we must create a national sense of urgency about the growing problem of substance abuse and wage a war against it.

Hafer, who heads Morristown-based GPU, spoke as an expert for the business community as part of the Daytop New Jersey's day-long Focus on Heroin Summit in Parsippany today. He said his call to action against substance abuse is not unlike the model created when President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation -- not the government -- to put a man on the moon. He noted national success would:

-- Require employers with more than 100 employees to offer

comprehensive substance abuse treatment programs by the year 2003

and preventative therapies by 2005.

-- Recruit the best and the brightest from the medical, Academia,

Insurance and Legislative/Regulatory areas, and

-- Convene a National Blue Ribbon Panel of thought leaders to frame

actions, mobilize peers, drive solutions and lead the public

discussion.

To advance these actions, Hafer urged community members to call their U.S. Representatives and Senators and ask that they support legislation to ensure consumer access to substance abuse treatment without discriminatory limits.

"As concerned citizens we all have an obligation to contribute to the betterment of society. As business people, even if we don't accept all of the statistics, we must recognize that the problem is so extensive, there's a high degree of probability that if you choose to follow a 'fire and replace' policy, you will fire one chemically-dependent person and hire a new one," Hafer said.

Hafer, who has addressed the topic of corporate America's responsibility to respond to substance abuse before the U.S. Senate noted that, "The National Institute on Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conservatively estimates that as much as 10 percent of the work force in American business today suffers from a chemical dependency problem.

"Studies indicate that substance abusers function at about 67 percent of their potential. Whether you're running a small business or a large corporation, it's difficult to remain profitable and competitive if you've got one out of every ten employees giving you two hours of productivity for three hours of compensation!" said Hafer.

Hafer likened America's substance abuse problems to a war. "We must battle indifference and ignorance. We must provide information about chemical dependency and how it can be treated. We, particularly business people, must lead by example. We must develop comprehensive treatment. In my view, we in business, we who are employers, have the greatest responsibility to wage this war and provide the greatest chance to win it. When all businesses in America have put their full weight behind an effort, seldom have they failed. In this war, we cannot afford to fail."

"A victory in this war won't come easily, and it won't be cheap! But the victory is well worth both the effort we must make and the price will have to pay. Because, none of us can afford The Growing Cost of Doing Nothing!"

Hafer was one of five keynote speakers. The event also featured a panel of experts from the community. There were six workshops addressing issues confronted by the Medical Community, the Corporate Community, the Treatment/Prevention and Department of Youth and Family Service Communities, the Educational Community, the Family and Religious Communities and the Law Enforcement/Legislative and Governing Communities.

The Heroin Summit was sponsored by: GPU Energy, GPU, Inc., Bell Atlantic, Berlex Labs, Daytop-NJ, Drug Enforcement Administration, Dope Open Inc., Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Secret Service, Warner-Lambert Company and Exxon Corporation, U.S.A.

GPU, Inc., is a registered utility holding company. Its three domestic electric utility subsidiaries, Jersey Central Power & Light, Metropolitan Edison Company and Pennsylvania Electric Company do business as GPU Energy and provide service to two million customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. GPU also owns GPU International Group, which develops, owns, operates and invests in generation, transmission and distribution facilities domestically and abroad.

Daytop-New Jersey is a Mendham-based inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment program for adolescents 13 through 19 years of age.

About Fred Hafer

Fred D. Hafer is chairman, president and chief executive officer of GPU, Inc., headquartered in Morristown, NJ.

Hafer is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Caron Foundation, a nonprofit addiction rehabilitation facility. He is also past chairman of Drug-Free Pennsylvania, Inc.