FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2011

Contact: Angela Conover, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, (c) 201-916-1030 (e) conover@drugfreenj.org

               Michelle Vernuccio, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, (0) 973-467-2100, ext. 24 (e) michelle@drugfreenj.org  

Statewide Collaborative Unveils Campaign to Curb Binge and Underage Drinking in 18-25 Year Olds

Multi-Media PSA Campaign Encourages Parents to Check-in on Their Children Using ParentCheckNJ.com

TRENTON--- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and the New Jersey Prevention Network, as part of the Social Marketing Collaborative, today, released a multi-media public service campaign targeting binge and underage drinking in New Jersey’s 18-25 year old population.

 “Recent surveys show that almost 63% of 18 to 25 year olds in New Jersey used alcohol in the past month and that 42% of young adults were binge drinking within the past month,” explained Diane Litterer, Executive Director of the New Jersey Prevention Network. 

 “We are here today to let the parents of New Jersey college-aged students know that they still have influence over their children when it comes to their misuse of alcohol,” explained Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. Parents still have a key role in prevention – even to this age group.”

“Parenting does not stop when a child turns 18,” said Litterer, “There are still important conversations to have with children to keep them safe and make good choices when it comes to alcohol.”

“In fact, the 2008 Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey College Study found that college students who believed their parents opinions were important were less likely to binge drink, explained Valente. “The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, since its inception, has stressed the importance of the role of parents in prevention, and that role continues throughout the college years.”

The campaign will be on billboards and radio stations across the state and will drive traffic to the website ParentCheckNJ.com.

 “ParentCheckNJ.com was created by a coalition of key stakeholders to provide an interactive learning opportunity through a website for parents to be able to help them address the issue of underage drinking,” explained Litterer.

The website includes information on all of the issues surrounding the misuse of alcohol – including legal ramifications, brain development facts, and the policies governing alcohol use at New Jersey colleges and universities, noted Valente.

The campaign was created as part of the New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Addiction Services Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant.

Please log on to http://www.parentchecknj.com/media-kit/ to listen to the ParentCheckNJ.com radio PSAs.

The NJ Social Marketing Project Collaborative was developed by the New Jersey Prevention Network (NJPN), the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) in order to positively impact the 18 to 25 year olds and their parents.  Bringing together the expertise of these organizations and adding the full collaborative membership establishes a strong base to develop and implement a statewide effective prevention program.

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