The Parents to Parents Coalition (P2P), a group advocating for New Jersey to raise its alcohol tax by a nickel a drink to provide more funds for addiction treatment, recently took its case to Gov. Jon Corzine, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported March 14.

Members of the group -- many of whom have lost children to drug overdoses -- came to Rowan University for a Corzine budget speech. They presented Corzine with one of the glass jugs that they are using to collect nickels as part of the campaign.

The proposed tax increase could raise $10 million for treatment, they said, roughly doubling current state spending.

"I'm tired of burying people we should be treating," says Joni Whelan, CEO of the SODAT (Services to Overcome Drug Abuse Among Teenagers) treatment program.

So far, the Just a Nickel campaign has not attracted any legislative support. But the P2P members continue to collect their nickels -- which they say will be used to fund treatment until the state takes action.