Forum at RVCC offers lessons on deadly consequences of alcohol, drug abuse

By Martin C. Bricketto 
Staff Writer

Morris County native Eavan, 23, was a student-athlete who received a scholarship to attend college.

But, as a young person, Eavan also sank into alcohol and drug abuse — behavior that culminated in 2006 when, intoxicated, she crashed her car in an accident that killed the vehicle’s passenger. She is currently serving a five-year sentence in state prison.

"I just hope that someone makes a decision to not get in the car that night or not drive the car that night," Eavan, a participant in the state Department of Corrections Project P.R.I.D.E. program, said Wednesday to a conference room packed with students and others at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC).

The college hosted the Somerset’s Initiative for Partying Safely (SIPS)/Healthy Options for Prevention and Education (HOPE) community forum, intended to help those young audience members avoid the life-changing consequences that can stem from one wrong decision.

George Pizzo spoke about how his daughter, Amber, was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by a 24-year-old woman who was under the influence. Amber Pizzo had been walking back from a fireworks display with her boyfriend. The force of the vehicle, traveling about 30 miles per hour, knocked her about 120 feet from where she was hit.

"The only thing that keeps any of you, any of us, from being part of that prison population that should not be there is that one bad decision," said Pizzo, who now runs the Amber Pizzo Memorial Foundation in his daughter’s memory.

Sponsors of the event included EmPoWER Somerset, the Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com, and the college.

Morning show radio personality John Bell urged the audience to focus on the root causes of addiction and teaching young people coping skills.

"The question is that we have a generation of people who do not know how to make decisions," Bell said.

The forum included question-and-answer sessions with two panels — one comprised of professionals such as Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest and EmPoWER Somerset Executive Director Sharon Lutz and another with young adults recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

"A lot of kids end up using and being addicted because there’s something going on that you can’t see," said Kevin, a student at RVCC.

Some of those young adults said they had to hit rock bottom before they decided to seek help.

"It has been a long road for me," said Bryan, one of the participants. "I’m trying to get my life back on track."