FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 39, 2023
Contacts: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

PDFNJ Executive Director Named “Hero”
 in Authority Magazine Series
 

MILLBURN, NJ — The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Executive Director Angelo Valente was featured in the Authority Magazine “Heroes of the Addiction Crisis” series.

A lifelong resident of Hoboken, Valente has been at the helm of PDFNJ since its inception in 1992. Since then, the organization has grown into the largest continuous Public Service Campaign in New Jersey's history, garnering recognition from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy on two occasions. The National Association of Government Communicators also lauded the organization for orchestrating the country's most effective public health education campaign.

In the interview, Valente reflected on the invaluable role of preemptive measures in schools to nurture a drug-free lifestyle among the youth. The discussion further delved into the legislative milestones PDFNJ helped achieve, notably the Opioid Patients' Right to Know Act, which was first enacted in New Jersey and has now been adopted by 19 other states.

Under Valente's stewardship, PDFNJ has been a leader in tackling the underlying causes of opioid misuse, addressing the issues long before the crisis garnered national attention. The organization created the first American Medicine Chest Challenge in the U.S., a seminal initiative empowering families with actionable steps to ward off drug misuse. It subsequently inspired the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Elaborating on PDFNJ’s pioneering spirit, Valente said in the interview, "I would love to motivate others to do some of the things we've done. New Jersey was the first state to have a prescription drug take-back program. We engage the medical community in developing safe prescribing practices, and our PSA messages have regional and national impact. We had a very provocative opioid campaign that launched in Times Square, and people heard about it across the country."

Read the entire “Heroes of the Addiction Crisis” interview here.

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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention 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 $200 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 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.