FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2009
Contact Information:
Angela Conover, Director of Media Marketing & Community Relations
Phone: 973.467.2100, ext. 25
E-mail: conover@drugfreenj.org

Television Drug-Prevention PSA Filmed at Anthony Wayne Middle School in Wayne

WAYNE? The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) filmed a television public service announcement (PSA) on May 20, 2009 at the Anthony Wayne Middle School in Wayne, New Jersey. A team of three 8th grade students; Ahmad Munem, Lucas Heldman and Andrew Naoum, from Anthony Wayne Middle School, created the winning script in PDFNJ?s 12th 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 Anthony Wayne Middle School 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 2009.

Click to watch the PSA

Photo and interview opportunities will be available upon request.

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, more than $50 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 over 50 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.