FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2012

Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey Mourns the Passing of Riley Regan, an Icon in the Field of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment

MILLBURN -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) sadly mourns the passing of Riley Regan, the first Executive Director of the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (GCADA) and a lifelong, outspoken advocate for the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment.

“Riley Regan was truly an icon – not only in New Jersey but throughout the nation. Riley brought a passionate and personal approach to his advocacy on behalf of individuals and families who have been affected by the disease of alcoholism and drug abuse,” declared, Joseph P. Miele, the founder and chairman emeritus of the PDFNJ and the founding chair of the GCADA. “I had the true honor and pleasure of working side by side with Riley and know how many families have been touched and helped by his tireless dedication. His passing is a loss for every New Jersey family affected by the disease of addiction.”

For more than 20 years Regan was on the faculty of the Rutgers University Center for Alcohol Studies and taught at numerous colleges and universities throughout the country on alcoholism and drug abuse topics.

Regan was a past president of the National Association of State Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Directors and served five years as a member of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's National Advisory Council. He was the New Jersey Social Worker of the Year, the Newark Star Ledger's "Jerseyan of the Year," the New Jersey Human Services Administrator of the Year and received numerous other recognitions.

He also was honored on five occasions by resolutions from the New Jersey General Assembly for his ongoing work in the alcoholism and drug abuse field. Regan was one of five state employees in the nation honored by the National Governor's Association and was instrumental in the creation of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling (Online Gambling Section).

Before coming to New Jersey, Regan served as Deputy State Director of the Maryland Alcoholism Control Administration and Deputy Director of the National Center for Alcohol Education.

Best known 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, close to than $80 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.Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 126 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.

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