Prevention PSA Filmed at Rutgers Campus and Throughout Camden

Press Release         May 27, 2008

Contact: Angela Conover, PDFNJ (201) 916-1030

            Director of Media and Community Relations

Television Drug-Prevention PSA Filmed at Rutgers Campus and Throughout Camden

MILLSTONE— The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) filmed a television public service announcement (PSA) on May 28, 2008 at the Rutgers University Camden Campus.

A team of five middle school students from Leap Academy, Camden, created the winning script in PDFNJ’s 11^th Annual Middle School Public Service Announcement Challenge.

The PSA Challenge invites New Jersey middle school students to create storyboards for a substance abuse prevention themed television PSA. Over 1,400 middle school students from throughout the state competed is this year’s competition. Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, explained that the contest is open to all middle school students in the state and that this year the winning students competed against over 1,400 students from across New Jersey to take first place. He noted that the contest is designed to get peer-to-peer prevention messages out to the children of New Jersey. “A message coming from one’s peer is often much more effective,” he explained.

            According to Valente, the PSA, which was written by and features the Leap Academy students will be distributed to every television station that covers New Jersey.

“We hope to get this innovative and extremely creative PSA out to as many of New Jersey’s youth as possible,” said Valente. 

The PSA will be unveiled in September 2008.

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Best know for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $25 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history.

Photo and interview opportunities will be available upon request

Best know for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $25 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history.

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