Overview
The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) was created in 1992 as a substance use prevention alliance to localize, strengthen, and expand prevention initiatives, drug-free assistance, and parent education programs throughout the state. All PDFNJ programs are available free of charge to New Jersey residents.
PDFNJ is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation best known for its statewide substance use prevention public service campaigns, which New Jersey residents see on trains, buses, billboards, radio, television, in print, and online. Through its coalition of professionals from the prevention, communications, corporate, and government communities, the Partnership’s mission is to reduce substance use and misuse in New Jersey. Since its inception, PDFNJ has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional, and statewide media organizations and has received nearly $200 million in pro bono services for public service announcements, making it the largest continuous pro bono media campaign in New Jersey’s history.
Beyond its media campaigns, PDFNJ continues to make a difference through its educational programs. Parent education initiatives, including the Child Break Resource Guide, have equipped New Jersey families with information to help prevent substance use in their homes. In 2005, PDFNJ announced that its popular 15-Minute Child Break parent education program had been newly revised and updated. With support from many partners, the Partnership also sponsors school-based programs such as the Third Grade Activity Book, the Fun Things to Do Instead of Drugs Contest, the Middle School PSA Challenge, and the Your Song, Your Voice Shout Down Drugs contest, which encourage students to create and share original substance use prevention messages. The Partnership also sponsors additional school-based initiatives, including the 3rd Grade Contract for a Healthy Life and the 4th Grade Folder Contest.
PDFNJ’s education efforts also extend to the workplace through Drugs Don’t Work, which provides employers with resources to help create and maintain drug-free workplaces. Founded in 1992, Drugs Don’t Work merged with PDFNJ in 1999 and, over the past three decades, has assisted more than 4,000 New Jersey businesses, nonprofits, and public-sector employers.
In 2009, PDFNJ partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Jersey Division to launch Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey, the nation’s first-ever statewide day of disposal of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine. The initiative engages residents across all 21 counties.
In 2010, Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey was recognized as a national model in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Drug Control Strategy and helped inspire the creation of the American Medicine Chest Challenge to expand safe medicine disposal efforts nationwide.
PDFNJ further expanded its opioid prevention efforts in 2013 with the launch of the Do No Harm Symposium Series in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Jersey Division. The series educates doctors, dentists, and other prescribers on the opioid crisis and safer prescribing practices and was recognized by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2015.
In 2017, New Jersey enacted the “Right to Know” Law, which PDFNJ advocated for and which requires prescribers to discuss the addictive nature of opioids and safer, non-opioid alternatives for pain management. Twenty-three other states have since adopted the law and have contributed to improved prescriber-patient communication and reductions in new opioid prescriptions for acute pain.
Building on this initiative, PDFNJ partnered with The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey to create the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series, bringing education and resources to communities across all 21 counties. In 2019, the initiative expanded to include an online continuing medical education course to help prescribers meet New Jersey’s required opioid education credit. In August 2019, PDFNJ also launched an Online Stigma Challenge to address stigma associated with substance use disorder.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, PDFNJ further expanded access to education through the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series, launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA). PDFNJ hosts the series in an effort to coordinate the law enforcement and public health response to the intersecting public health crises of substance use and mental health, including the work of the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES), across the Department of Law and Public Safety and throughout the state. Since its inception, the series has educated tens of thousands of participants, with attendance reaching nearly 10,000 in 2025 alone.
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day continues to unite communities across New Jersey in a statewide effort led by the Partnership to address the opioid epidemic through prevention, education, and community engagement. Held annually on October 6, the initiative provides resources and programming for healthcare professionals, community leaders, families, businesses, and students to raise awareness about the risks of prescription opioids, their connection to illicit drugs and fentanyl, and strategies to prevent misuse. Supported by statewide partners and established in law by the New Jersey Legislature and Governor, Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day mobilizes counties and communities to share lifesaving information and encourage action to protect New Jersey families and neighborhoods.
In 2021, PDFNJ and Horizon renewed the initiative and expanded its focus to youth athletes through a partnership with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Former Rutgers and NFL quarterback Ray Lucas serves as the program’s spokesperson, sharing his journey through addiction and recovery to help prevent opioid misuse among students.
In November 2024, PDFNJ partnered with Fairleigh Dickinson University and the Opioid Education Foundation of America to sponsor an FDU Poll examining attitudes toward youth social media use and substance use risk. The survey of New Jersey voters found broad bipartisan support for requiring cigarette-style warning labels on social media platforms, with 77 percent of voters in favor. The poll also highlighted gaps in parental monitoring: nearly half of parents report not tracking their children’s social media use, underscoring the need for ongoing education and prevention efforts.
Most recently, PDFNJ expanded its prevention efforts to address opioid risks among older adults. In September 2025, PDFNJ convened the first-ever NJ Healthy Aging Summit, in partnership with the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, bringing together more than 400 older adults, caregivers, and professionals to explore opioid safety and evidence-based alternatives to pain management. This momentum led to the launch of PDFNJ’s statewide Healthy Aging Campaign, which provides age-specific opioid safety education and resources for older adults and those who support them.