As a response to the murder of agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1985, Red Ribbon Week was created for schools across the nation to raise awareness of the harmful effects of using drugs and illegal substances.
“Members of surrounding communities were outraged by the murder of Kiki and wore red ribbons and pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices made by Kiki and others on behalf of all Americans,” class of 2027 counselor David Figueroa said. “This movement gained traction in the U.S. and became an annual celebration to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles. It’s a tragic story with a powerful and impactful message.”
During Red Ribbon Week, the counselors of the class of 2027 have a series of events lined up for both campuses, Figueroa said. Red ribbons will be hung outside each campus, and the entrances will be decorated. Along with this, every morning, informational announcements will be made in promotion of living a drug-free life.
“This week brings up a lot of tough conversations between staff members, students, and their parents/guardians,” Figueroa said. “Unfortunately, there is an insurmountable number of youth and adults across the nation that struggle with substance abuse. Substance abuse has taken the lives of too many young people in the U.S., which is an extremely sad realization. This week is so incredibly important to prevent the preventable and raise awareness about the detrimental effects of drug use.”
Red Ribbon Week nationally involves more than 80 million young people and adults who do their best to promote living a drug-free, healthy life. By focusing on making positive health choices, people all over the nation are touched by the effects of Red Ribbon Week.
“The presence of Red Ribbon Week is a reminder for everyone that each of us is empowered to make our own decisions related to use of alcohol and substances,” Division Chair of Counseling and Student Support Services Drew Eder said. “The choice to live drug-free is one that requires bravery and strength.”
The National Red Ribbon Campaign is sponsored by The National Family Partnership (NFP), Figueroa said. Each year, a theme for Red Ribbon Week is chosen by the NFP. This year the theme is “Life is A Movie, Film Drug-Free.” Since the late 1980s, the NFP has been promoting healthy, beneficial life choices that push for drug-free lives not only in teens but also in adults.
“The concept of promoting a week that focuses on well-being, wellness, and being drug-free is really important within this community and honestly with all communities that are touching high-school age students,” Principal Jennifer Tyrell said. “These weeks represent creating awareness, but truly what you help is that there is a stickiness to that and that these messages stick well beyond any week dedicated to a topic of importance.”
October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and every year, Red Ribbon Week is held around the week of Oct. 23-31. This year, the desired dates align with the school calendar, and Red Ribbon Week will occur during the week of Oct. 23 in schools nationwide.
“To me, it’s another opportunity to educate how important this topic is, and it’s also a way to provide support to all of our students,” Tyrell said. “This is what we would call tier one support; it’s a communication and support that we provide for everyone to bring awareness to a topic, so we want to make sure we are sharing resources with our students and our families as well.”