NJ A5833

Commissioner of Education to establish a grant program for school districts to finance substance abuse prevention programs specifically for eighth grade students

Program requires two components: a faculty/parent education component with workshops on substance abuse signs and prevention, and a student education component with a four-phase approach

Student component includes presentations from teenage drug rehabilitation residents, individuals with personal family experience with substance abuse, minimum custody inmates discussing their drug-related crimes, and celebrity role models delivering anti-drug messages

School districts must apply for grants and certify their budget includes matching funds from district, private donations, or federal sources to finance the program

Parents may opt their children out of the student education component by submitting a signed statement citing conflict with the student's conscience or moral/religious beliefs, with no academic penalties