FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2017

Contact: Matt Birchenough, Media Coordinator, 201-916-1032, media@drugfreenj.org

Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey Claims Two First-Place Trophies at NJ Ad Club Jersey Awards

Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III, right, presents Marge D'Anna, a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day coordinator, and Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey with a proclamation designating Oct. 6, 2016, as Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day in Bergen County. PDFNJ earned a first-place trophy in the Public Relations: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for the campaign.

MILLBURN — The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) earned five awards, including two first prizes, at the 49^th Annual NJ Ad Club Jersey Awards held Wednesday, June 7.

The Partnership collected first place in Public Relations: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for its “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day” campaign, as well as in the Newspaper: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for its “Be a Hero” initiative.

“The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is once again pleased to have its substance misuse prevention campaigns recognized by NJ Ad Club at this year’s Jersey Awards,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “These lifesaving messages have helped to educate the public on prescription opioid and heroin abuse, as well as substance use and misuse, and serve an important purpose of raising awareness of the dangers of substance misuse and the deadly opioid epidemic gripping the state of New Jersey.”

PDFNJ received the first-place award in the Public Relations: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for the first annual Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, an event held on Oct. 6, 2016 that organized more than 2,000 volunteers who canvassed communities throughout the state to raise awareness of opioid abuse among New Jersey families and to share information about safe prescribing methods with doctors and dentists across the state. The campaign engaged community leaders to help raise awareness of the opioid epidemic, which culminated in the New Jersey State Senate unanimously approving legislation designating October 6 in perpetuity as Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day in New Jersey. This initiative was a collaboration of PDFNJ, with the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris, the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

PDFNJ was also recognized for its campaign with Morris County Prevention is Key’s naloxone education initiative. The “Be a Super Hero” campaign educated Northern New Jersey residents on overdose prevention, necessary steps to take when witnessing an overdose, knowledge about the Good Samaritan Law and calling for help when and if an overdose occurs, including a naloxone administration training. The radio component for this campaign earned a third-place award in the Radio: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for the “Be a Super Hero” ad.

PDFNJ also garnered second-place awards in the Collateral: Packet Folder category for its 4^th Grade Folder Competition “Fun Things to Do Instead of Drugs.” More than 7,000 fourth grade students from across New Jersey submitted artwork in this peer-to-peer prevention message contest.

Another second-place award was received in the Collateral: Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work category for the “Would You Give Your Child Heroin?” posters as part of the “Before They Prescribe – You Decide” campaign. The campaign focused on educating parents about the link between prescription pain medicine and heroin abuse, while encouraging them to speak to their doctor or dentist about the potential addictive qualities of pain medicine prescribed, as well as possible alternatives to opioids.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey earned second place at the NJ Ad Club Jersey Awards in the Collateral: Packet Folder category for its Fourth Grade Folder Competition "Fun Things to Do Instead of Drugs."

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The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey received second place at the Jersey Awards for its "Would You Give Your Child Heroin?" posters as part of the "Before They Prescribe - You Decide" campaign.

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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 166 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.