Cedar Grove, NJ, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) earned recognition for its efforts to tackle the opioid crisis, earning three first-place awards and one second-place award at the 56th Annual Jersey Awards on September 18. The awards are organized and judged by the New Jersey Ad Club, the largest association in New Jersey representing advertisers, marketers, media and public relations professionals.
PDFNJ received recognition for the following:
Ray Lucas/Knock Out Opioid Abuse Campaign: First place, Public Relations Feature Media Placement
Through programs headlined by former NFL player and New Jersey native Ray Lucas, this initiative aims to engage high school students and educate them about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health. These programs are organized by PDFNJ and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in collaboration with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Learning Series: First Place, Public Relations Not for Profit/Pro Bono Work
Since 2020, The Learning Series has provided valuable education on recent developments in the opioid epidemic to the general public and medical professionals. These educational events are a collaboration of PDFNJ, the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA), the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, NJ CARES and the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR),
Wisdom Tooth Campaign: First Place, Television Public Service Announcements
This campaign emphasized the potential risks of opioid use following common dental procedures.
Scorpion Campaign: Second Place, Television Public Service Announcements
This campaign compared the dangers of opioid use with the fatal sting of a scorpion. Both PSA campaigns were created in partnership with Concept TV Productions.
"We are truly honored to receive these awards from the New Jersey Ad Club," said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. "We are especially grateful to our partners for their crucial support in these initiatives."
For more information about the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, visit www.drugfreenj.org.
###
About the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey:
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.
