NP Alliance Educates Community on Dangers of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The car was smashed up. People were screaming, victims were covered in blood, police and emergency medical technicians were everywhere. By the time the scene was cleaned up, everyone had learned some frightening lessons about the realities of drinking and driving.

Fortunately, the accident was staged, set up by the New Providence Alliance in June of 2010 to show teens the very real dangers of driving under the influence of even a little alcohol. The Alliance works throughout the year to achieve a drug-free community, improve and enhance the quality of life for all who work and live in the Borough of New Providence, and to establish a comprehensive approach to community-based efforts to prevent alcoholism and drug use.

“Drinking and drugs are a real problem among students today,” said Tracy Beckerman, who chairs the Alliance. “It can start as early as middle school.”

From drinking to synthetic drugs like Bath Salts that are sold legally in many states, students today are faced with more challenges than ever to resist the siren song of a quick high. after a young Cranford man killed his girlfriend while high on the substance, which mimics the effects of drugs like PCP and Methamphetamine.

The Alliance works in conjunction with other Municipal Alliances, Union County Alcohol and Drug Prevention Agencies, and the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to create educational programs such as the simulated car accident, a nationwide program called Every Fifteen Minutes. The New Providence Alliance sponsored the program in conjunction with Atlantic Health.

Beckerman said in prior years, the New Providence area had multiple instances of drinking and driving. After the Every Fifteen Minutes program in 2010, there were no reported incidents.

“As a committee, we are constantly doing our own homework to keep the message fresh for kids, and to educate not only kids but parents,” she said. “We do night time programs for parents to educate them about drug use. Parents need to know what kids are facing, from drinking to drug use. Prescription drug use among teens is widespread.”

Other programs spearheaded by the Alliance are D.A.R.E., Project Graduation, Red Ribbon Week and Peer Leadership Training. They also organize drug-and-alcohol-free parties for teens.

The Peer Leadership Training, Beckerman says, is highly successful. A handful of students are sent to the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute, a youth leadership training program for high school students in New Jersey where they learn to become peer leaders and role models.

“It really empowers them, and helps us with our job,” Beckerman said. “It really took off last year.” The students who were trained came back and had peer leader conferences at the middle school, where they trained 60 more peer leaders on drug avoidance and anti-bullying themes.

“A lot of what we do is education, and there are a couple of shock value things,” she explained. “We also have amazing support from the Borough. They passed an underage drinking ordinance a year ago. The idea is to intervene rather than arrest. Stop it before something happens.”

Beckerman said the Alliance also receives tremendous support from the New Providence Police Department.

“This is truly a town-wide effort,” she said, adding that New Providence often partners with alliances in surrounding towns. “Kids don’t have friends just in their own town. It really makes a lot of sense for us to all work together since we have the same goal.”

The Alliance committee currently has 15 adult members and three student members, and is always looking for volunteers. They operate from a small grant and gladly accept donations to help run the various programs throughout the year.

The committee meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Murray Hill Inn. For more information, visit www.newprov.org/municipalalliance.