FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2018

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

PDFNJ and PSEG Foundation Bring Substance Use Prevention Efforts to the Classroom

NUTLEY — The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and the PSEG Foundation have collaborated to send a message to 40,000 young New Jersey students on the importance of healthy choices through the annual Third Grade Contract for a Healthy Life.

The contract, presented as an activity book, has been distributed in 460 classrooms throughout the state to help young students understand the importance of living a healthy life free of substance use. Representatives from PDFNJ and the PSEG Foundation delivered the booklets to a classroom at Yantacaw School in Nutley on Tuesday, April 10.

“Preventing the use and misuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in schools and communities is an ongoing effort and requires reaching children of all ages through age-appropriate, substance use prevention efforts” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente said. “The Third Grade Contract for a Healthy Life provides students information and encouragement to make healthy decisions.”

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and the PSEG Foundation delivered the Third Grade Contract for a Healthy Life to students at Yantacaw School in Nutley on Tuesday, April 10. From left, John Latka, Senior Vice President of Electric and Gas Operations for PSE&G; Yantacaw School Principal Frank Francia; Maria Spina, Program Officer for the PSEG Foundation; Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ; and school nurse Katherine Flannery.

The activity book, supported by a grant from the PSEG Foundation, includes a page for third grade students to sign their names to a contract stating they will not use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs that would be harmful to them. The contract also will be signed by parents and school representatives, symbolizing a promise to support the students’ efforts.

“PSE&G is committed to the communities where we serve — including the young people in those communities. We believe strongly in the good work of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and are proud to partner with them to help communicate the importance of making smart decisions at any age,” said John Latka, Senior Vice President of Electric and Gas Operations for PSE&G and a board member for PDFNJ. “Many of the students receiving these lessons will grow up to be our customers, and if we are fortunate maybe even our employees.” 

Recent studies suggest research-based, age-appropriate prevention materials have had a positive impact as alcohol, tobacco and substance use has decreased among American teenagers in grades 8, 10 and 12.

“It is never too early to teach our children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle,” Nutley Police Commissioner Alphonse Petracco said. “That includes eating healthy, exercising and staying away from anything that could be harmful to us. We should be careful to not expose them to negative behaviors and instead show them how important it is to take care of their minds and bodies. Children learn what they live so we always have to do what is right in their eyes.”

It is crucial that prevention efforts also raise parents’ awareness and knowledge of substance use-related issues. For example, a recent PDFNJ study revealed that one third of New Jersey parents did not believe there was a link between prescription opioids and heroin use.

By distributing the contract through schools, PDFNJ and the PSEG Foundation recognize the key role educators play in informing New Jersey youth about the dangers of substance use and misuse.

“We are always looking to enhance our health curriculum and provide students with hands-on activities that promote a healthy lifestyle,” Yantacaw Principal Frank Francia said.

“The prevention efforts of family members and the educational system are as vital to the mission of this program as the students’ commitment to live drug-free,” Valente added. “Parents and caregivers provide the guidance and emotional support in many areas to steer their children toward healthier life choices, while schools educate students on the positives of healthy living and the consequences of substance use.”

A class at Yantacaw School receives copies of the Third Grade Contract for a Healthy Life.

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About the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey

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 $100 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.

About the PSEG Foundation

The PSEG Foundation (501c3) is the philanthropic arm of Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG). The Foundation generally supports and invests in programs in three areas: community and the environment, education and safety. The Foundation provides grants to organizations in communities served by PSEG and its subsidiaries. 

Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE: PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $9.1 billion and approximately 13,000 employees. Headquartered in Newark, N.J., PSEG's principal operating subsidiaries are: Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), PSEG Power and PSEG Long Island. PSEG is a Fortune 500 company included in the S&P 500 Index and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 10 consecutive years. (www.pseg.com).