Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign and the largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program in the U.S. LT celebrates Red Ribbon Week from Oct. 27-30  to promote living life drug, alcohol, and violence-free.

“I think [drug use] is an issue everywhere in society,” class of 2026 counselor Patrick King said. “One of the encouraging things that I’ve seen nationally is that alcohol use is going down for teenagers, which doesn’t mean it’s not an issue still. But drug use is always an issue and always something we are trying to be preventative about.”

Announcements and communication through the school’s TV screens and posters advocating against drug use will be seen throughout the week. Red ribbons were tied around trees surrounding both campuses, flyers were put in teachers’ mailboxes to hang in their classrooms, and an email with resources was sent out to staff and families at the beginning of the week. Red Ribbon stickers were also distributed.

“Ultimately, it’s an awareness campaign to raise visibility about the mission,” class of 2028 counselor Kate Wohlgemuth said. “You increase your audience, you elicit more advocates that carry out the mission throughout the year rather than just that week.”

Each year, LT rotates which grade’s counselors are responsible for which annual campaigns, such as Suicide Prevention Week. This year, the class of 2028 counselors were in charge of organizing Red Ribbon Week.

“[When a student is found to be using drugs,] LT looks at it as a multifaceted issue,” King said. “What is going on with this person as a whole, and if drugs and alcohol are a part of that, [we] give the family resources to help deal with the problem.”

Red Ribbon Week began as a tribute to Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Enrique Camerena. He was murdered in 1985 by Mexican police officers hired by the Guadalajara Cartel while he was working undercover in Mexico after helping expose a multi-million dollar marijuana manufacturing operation. Following his death, people in Camarena’s hometown of Calexico, California, wore red ribbons in his honor, making red ribbons a symbol of drug prevention.

According to the National Red Ribbon Week website, “[Their] mission is to lead and support our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in January of 2025, 22% of high school students reported having drunk alcohol over the past month, 9% reported binge drinking, and 5% reported drinking and driving. Additionally, 17% reported vaping and 17% reported marijuana use. At the same time, rates of youth drug use in the U.S. are at a historical low, declining dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and remaining stable as of the end of 2024, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Life is a puzzle. Solve it drug-free!” is this year’s Red Ribbon campaign slogan.