Red Ribbon Week will be held October 26-October 30 this year.
Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year. Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. According to the United States DEA, Red Ribbon Week is the nation's largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program.
Red Ribbon Week was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a Drug-Free America.
National Family Partnership is the sponsor of this annual celebration. They are helping citizens across the country come together to keep children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free, through parent training, networking and sponsoring events.
Alcohol and other forms of drug abuse in this country have reached epidemic stages, and it is imperative that visible, unified prevention education efforts by community members be launched to eliminate the demand for drugs.
Schools can help by incorporating substance use prevention education into daily classes such as health to bring awareness to students and promote prevention.
Parents can help by talking to their children or young adults about the dangers of substance use. Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t; however, only 25 percent of teens report having these conversations.
You can find out more by visiting the Red Ribbon Campaign website at: www.redribbon.org.