MILLBURN, NJ – Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), has been profiled in Authority Magazine’s “Heroes of the Addiction Crisis” series. A Hoboken native, Valente has led PDFNJ since its founding in 1992, turning it into New Jersey’s largest ongoing public service campaign and garnering national recognition for its public health initiatives.
Under Valente’s leadership, PDFNJ has earned accolades from both the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the National Association of Government Communicators. The organization has been instrumental in achieving legislative milestones such as the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act, a law initially enacted in New Jersey that has since been adopted by 19 other states.
Valente emphasized the importance of preemptive measures in schools to encourage a drug-free lifestyle among young people. This approach complements PDFNJ’s broader strategy, which has focused on identifying and tackling the root causes of opioid misuse before it attracts wider attention.
PDFNJ also introduced the first American Medicine Chest Challenge, an initiative designed to give families practical steps to prevent drug misuse. This program served as the inspiration for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
In the Authority Magazine interview, Valente encouraged other states to adopt similar proactive measures. He highlighted New Jersey’s role as the first state to establish a prescription drug take-back program and praised the state’s medical community for developing safe prescribing practices.
Valente’s focus on education and proactive measures aligns with PDFNJ’s mission to tackle drug misuse at its roots, showcasing the organization’s pioneering role in addressing a national crisis.