2008 New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Winners Announced

Cumberland, Essex and Union County High School Students win first, second and third place honors at the May 15, 2008 Fourth Annual New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Statewide Prevention Concert at Rutgers University for $10,000 in prizes.

From left to right: Kimberly Smith, Regional Director of Community Affairs, Comcast; Joe Bisicchia, Prevention Concert 08' Host, Producer, CN8; Tyron Shaw, Cumberland County, First Place Winner of New Jersey Shout Down Drugs (NJSDD); J'sad Rollins-Jones, Union County, Third Place Winner of NJSDD; Jesse Roberson, Essex County, Second Place Winner of NJSDD; Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.

The winners of the New Jersey Shouts Down Drugs (NJSDD) music competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and Comcast, will sign a $5,000 (first place), $3,000 (second place) and $2,000 (third place) music contract with PDFNJ to perform their winning song live at statewide events and have their music professionally recorded.

Press Release

Contact:
May 16, 2008
Michelle Vernuccio, PDFNJ
201-916-1029 (c)
973-467-2100 (w)

CUMBERLAND COUNTY’S TYRON SHAW WINS
2008 NJ SHOUTS DOWN DRUGS STATEWIDE MUSIC COMPETITION

New Jersey High School Students Win $10,000 in Prizes

(MILLBURN, N.J.) – On Thursday, May 15, 2008, high school students from 14 different counties performed their original music as finalists in the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s (PDFNJ) Fourth Annual Shouts Down Drugs music concert, a statewide drug prevention initiative exclusively targeting high school students.

High school students throughout the state were invited to submit original songs delivering an anti-drug message within the lyrics. Calls for entries were made to every high school in New Jersey with the opportunity to compete for $10,000 in prizes. Each finalist was judged on the following criteria: Prevention Message/Lyrics (50%), Originality (25%), and Voice / Performance (25%).

On May 15, 2008 the finalists performed at the Prevention Concert ’08 hosted by Joe Bisicchia, host and producer for CN8, the Comcast Network. Comcast, the sponsor of this program will produce a one hour broadcast that will be aired on Comcast On Demand this summer.

The winner Tyron Shaw, from Cumberland County, a Junior at Creative Achievement Academy in Vineland, NJ and two runners up, Jesse Roberson from Essex County, a Senior at Irvington High School and J’sad Rollins-Jones, from Union County, a Senior from Hillside High School, will have their songs professionally recorded and perform at statewide events.

“As an organization, we are committed to helping young people educate themselves about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.” said Partnership Chairman Joseph P. Miele. “Music is a tremendous influence in the lives our young people. We are excited to launch New Jersey Shouts Down Drugs, a program that will encourage young people to tap their creative abilities and generate a positive anti-drug message.”

“Comcast is proud of our relationship with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey,” said Greg Arnold, Comcast Cable’s regional senior vice president for New Jersey. “The New Jersey Shouts Down Drugs event is an innovative and exciting way to spread the important anti-drug message to our communities and to our youth.”

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) Survey, young people said they were as likely to learn about drugs and alcohol from their peers as they were from their parents, television and the internet. Added Miele, “Our research has consistently shown that young people highly influence each other’s attitudes towards drugs and alcohol. What will set this program apart from other programs is instead of delivering an anti-drug message to high school students, we are allowing the students to deliver the message to one another.”

New Jersey Shouts Down Drugs was originally launched as a pilot program in Hudson and Essex counties, and due to the enormous success of those programs was launched statewide.

Photo and Interview Opportunities of the winners will be available by contacting the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) was created in 1992 with a mission to reduce the incidence of substance abuse throughout New Jersey. PDFNJ continues to serve as an anti-drug alliance to localize, strengthen and deepen drug and alcohol abuse prevention media efforts in our state. PDFNJ also offers school-based programs, drug-free workplace assistance, and parent education training. PDFNJ works in cooperation with the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse and the NJ Department of Human Services. All PDFNJ programs are available free of charge to the residents of New Jersey.