A billboard with artwork designed by Loriel Letizia of Howell was posted on Route 33 to raise young people’s awareness of the potential dangers of alcohol abuse.
HOWELL — Artwork by St. Veronica School student Loriel Letizia, 12, was recently featured on a drug awareness billboard.
The billboard on Route 33 was sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. Loriel’s artwork was displayed on the billboard for several weeks.
Loriel said the artwork she drew, featuring bottles of alcoholic beverages, was inspired by her older brother, Gregory, 15. She and her mother came up with the slogan, "Peer pressure is a hard drink to swallow."
Angela Conover, director of media and community relations for Partnership for Drug-Free New Jersey said the contest was developed to address the concerns of alcohol use by middle school students.
Conover said that according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s 2000 middle school study on substance abuse, 41 percent of New Jersey middle school students surveyed said they had consumed alcohol within the last year, and 49 percent said they had consumed alcohol in their lifetime.
In addition to having her artwork featured on the highway billboard, Loriel also received a $500 savings bond from the organization.
— Kathy Baratta