New Jersey Teens Shout Down Drugs With Original Music

Created in 2005, New Jersey Shout Down Drugs challenges high school students to create original music and lyrics with powerful substance abuse prevention messages to allow teens to deliver the prevention message to each other through their favorite medium of music.

Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug – Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) says “PDFNJ has witnessed enormous enthusiasm for this program from high school students from across New Jersey looking for a way to share a drug-free message.”

County Finalists are chosen by peer judges to perform their original songs at the Annual Statewide Prevention Concert, held in May, at a state-of-the-art venue but the deadline to submit the musical creation is Wednesday, February 1, 2017.

First, second and third place winners are chosen by a panel of judges that night to receive music contracts worth $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively to perform their winning songs at different events throughout the state during the year.

This event serves 2 purposes in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse.

The first is allowing teens, who are known to be the most effected demographic when it comes to substance abuse, to voice their own opinions on the ongoing epidemic this state is facing while having fun.

The second purpose is spreading the message of prevention in a new and creative way which, in turn, will help to combat this problem. It is easier to prevent than it is to treat.

To learn more, visit shoutdowndrugs.com.