|
TRENTON
B As part of an ongoing campaign by the
Divisions of Alcoholic Beverage Control
and Highway Traffic Safety to raise awareness
about the dangers of underage drinking,
Attorney General Paula T. Dow, Alcoholic
Beverage Control Director Jerry Fischer
and Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director
Gary Poedubicky today reminded students
that prom and graduation seasons are meant
to be enjoyed while staying safe and sober.
“As
the chief law enforcement officer for the
state, I too often hear about the devastating
impact of underage drinking,” Attorney
General Dow said. “As the mother of
two sons, including a high school junior,
I understand the importance of keeping alcohol
out of the hands of those under the age
of 21.”
“With
prom season upon us and graduation season
fast approaching, it’s important for
teens to remember that they should celebrate
these milestones in their lives while staying
away from alcohol,” ABC Director Fischer
said.
Fischer
added that involving alcohol with prom and
graduation festivities can have dire consequences,
including physical, emotional and legal
ramifications. Possession of alcohol while
under the legal age is a disorderly person’s
offense, and penalties could include fines
of at least $500 as well as a six-month
suspension of a driver’s license.
“During
prom and graduation season, in particular,
teens often have a sense of invincibility,
which can lead to the fatal mistake of getting
behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated,
or getting into a car with someone who has
been drinking,” HTS Acting Director
Gary Poedubicky said. “That one wrong
decision can result in tragic consequences
that can last a lifetime.”
ABC
Director Fischer also announced today that
the winning public service announcement
in the 2010-2011 “Proms and Alcohol
Don’t Mix” contest is now airing
on cable stations throughout New Jersey.
Begun in 2007, the contest fosters dialogue
among high school students about the dangers
of underage drinking.
Under
the program, high school seniors are asked
to develop scripts for a 30-second television
public service announcement. All scripts
must include the message, “Proms and
Alcohol Don’t Mix.” Selected
from 45 entries, this year’s winning
script was written by Kimberly Etzin,
Angela DePaola, Allison Lotito, Alexandria
Sprenger and Taylor Sisti, high
school seniors at Pascack Valley
High School in Hillsdale, Bergen
County. The winning script was then made
into a public service announcement.
The
grand prize winners, the runners-up, and
their teachers, will be recognized at a
ceremony in Trenton on June 1. The list
of runners-up and honorable mentions, which
includes students from Bergen, Camden, Essex,
Middlesex and Salem Counties, can be found
at the end of this press release.
The
PSA can be viewed at: www.nj.gov/oag/abc/annual-psa-contest.html.
“Proms
and Alcohol Don’t Mix” PSA Contest
Runners-Up and Honorable Mentions:
1st
Runner-Up
- Woodstown
High School (Woodstown Borough,
Salem County):
Korryn Vass
2nd
Runner-Up
- Pascack
Valley High School (Hillsdale
Borough, Bergen County):
Kenya Golston, Brenda Gorelik and Carly
Meyerowitz
Honorable
Mentions
- Overbrook
Senior High School (Pine Hill
Borough, Camden County):
Beth Wash, Jen Stone, Kerri Jewell,
Dominick Dominello, Kevin Fought, Laurie
Seifert, Sarmin Rema, Monty Johnson,
Charlotte Navrot, Brandon Crowther,
Nija Williams, Pam Navrot, Taylor Del
Rossi and Phil Dawson
- Cedar
Grove High School (Cedar Grove
Township, Essex County):
Steve Raum, Mike Vega and Todd Schoenfield
- Essex
County Vocational School (Newark
City, Essex County):
Tanaisha Patterson, Lionel Poneys, Jeilee
Gonzalez and Khari Faison
- John
P. Stevens High School (Edison
Township, Middlesex County):
Janani Kumar, Jiwon Kim, Aqsa Hussain,
Chhavi Saxena, Arkee Patel, Jackie Patel
and Hayley Silverman
### |
