Suburban News 

Erin Heaning, Ryan Pittari, and Ryan Petela, students at Kumpf Middle School in Clark, were selected as statewide winners for their entry in the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Annual Middle School PSA Challenge. As first place winners, their script was professionally produced and aired on television stations across New Jersey. 

The Middle School PSA Challenge encourages sixth, seventh and eighth grade students across New Jersey to create a script for a 30-second Public Service Announcement with a peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention message. Entries are judged on creativity, message content, and ability to be produced.

"We were very pleased at the level of quality in all the submissions," said Angelo M. Valente, executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. "The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey has consistently believed that peer-to-peer messages such as the ones displayed in this year's submissions are effective means of countering peer pressure when it comes to drug abuse."

The Middle School PSA Challenge is an annual contest held by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey that encourages that concept of peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention messaging. The contest is open once again to middle school students across the state. Entries are due by April 13. For more information, visithttp://drugfreenj.org/2015mspsarules/.

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 $70 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 120 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.