The College of New Jersey Awarded 2014 TIPS Award of Excellence for Alcohol Education Program

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Health Communications, Inc. (HCI), provider of the TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) Program, is pleased to announce that The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing, New Jersey has been awarded the 2014 TIPS Award of Excellence. Recipients of this award are chosen by an internal committee led by HCI's President and CEO, Adam Chafetz. Selection is based on the number of students certified, as well as feedback from TIPS trainers, student participants and community leaders. Four other campuses also received the award this year. "The College of New Jersey is successful with implementing TIPS because they take a collaborative approach. TIPS training is provided by staff members from multiple departments in their Student Affairs division, including Fraternity and Sorority Life, Alcohol and Drug Education, Student Conduct and Residential Education," said Mr. Chafetz.

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TCNJ has been using the TIPS program for the past five years and has certified over 700 students. TIPS for the University is a two-hour program that helps students make sound choices when faced with difficult decisions about alcohol use. Working together with other students and administrators, students address drinking behaviors specific to their schools and develop intervention techniques appropriate to their campuses. All sessions are taught by certified TIPS trainers using video and printed materials to facilitate discussion of the course content. The primary goal of the TIPS for the University program is to provide students with the knowledge and confidence necessary to reduce high-risk drinking.

"This program is successful due to the commitment of our partners on campus. As a result, we have been able to train a significant segment of our student leaders and secure funding to train even more students in the coming year," said Angela Lauer Chong, J.D., TCNJ's Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students. "The skills obtained from the training have empowered our students to step in and intervene when they see risky behavior associated with alcohol use, and has ultimately created safer social environments for our students."

About Health Communications, Inc.

Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) was founded in 1982 by Dr. Morris Chafetz, founding director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. HCI is a nationally recognized expert in the field of alcohol server training. Its flagship program, TIPS, was the first of its kind and continues to set industry standards for responsible alcohol service training. Numerous public officials and government agencies have recognized and endorsed TIPS training as lifesaving and critical to the progress made in reducing alcohol-related injuries and deaths. Proven effective by third-party studies, TIPS is a skills-based training program that is designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking and drunk driving. TIPS offers seven programs that address the unique environments where alcohol is served, sold and consumed, including On Premise, Off Premise, Concessions, Gaming, University, Seniors and Workplace. To learn more, visit www.gettips.com.