Paterson, NJ, July 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A team of eighth-grade students from Martin Luther King Jr. School, PS #30, created the top public service announcement addressing the dangers of substance misuse to win the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s (PDFNJ) annual statewide Middle School PSA Challenge.
Ezekiel Burgos, Shaila Galon, Genesis Gonzalez, Morgan Henry, and Arelia Henry submitted their original PSA under the guidance of teacher Alvin Bush. The Paterson students’ winning video delivers a direct and emotional warning about the dangers of vaping, highlighting the harmful substances that may be inhaled, including metals such as nickel, tin and lead, as well as nicotine. The PSA also underscores the serious risks of addiction and warns about the potential danger of fentanyl.
With the message, “Your life is worth more than vaping. So, there’s one question that remains. Is it worth it?” the students created a peer-to-peer prevention message designed to resonate with other middle school students and encourage healthy, drug-free choices.
“These students took an issue affecting so many young people and turned it into a message that is honest, urgent and deeply meaningful,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “Their PSA does an excellent job of showing that vaping is not harmless and that the consequences can be far more serious than many students realize. When young people speak with this kind of clarity and conviction, they have the power to influence their peers in a real and lasting way.”
The annual challenge invites New Jersey students in grades 5 through 8 to create their own 30-second public service announcement video about the dangers of substance misuse. The contest highlights the effectiveness of peer-to-peer communication, empowering young people to resist peer pressure through messages that connect with their age group.
The Martin Luther King Jr. School students’ winning entry was selected from submissions across the state and earned a $1,000 prize. The PSA can be viewed on the PDFNJ website at drugfreenj.org/MSPSAwinners.
The winning PSA will also be featured on PDFNJ’s social media platforms and used in statewide peer-to-peer substance use prevention campaigns, amplifying its message to youth audiences across New Jersey.
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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 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
Lisa Batitto Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey 973-467-2100 news@drugfreenj.org