Red Ribbon Week is an annual alcohol, tobacco, drug and violence prevention campaign in the United States that takes place in October. It began in 1985 as a tribute to a DEA special agent Enrique Camarena, who was murdered while on duty. It is now the nation’s largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program.
Red Ribbon Week is celebrated annually from Oct. 23-31. It highlights the importance of living a drug-free life. It presents an opportunity for parents, educators and communities to reinforce the drug-free messages they share with their children throughout the year.
People across the United States celebrate Red Ribbon Week to promote drug and violence prevention. The campaign involves a wide range of participants, including schools, parents and community organizations, all working to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal drugs and alcohol.
Students, teachers and administrators participate in activities and educational programs in schools. For example, at Aliso, there are several activities to raise awareness among students, including a dress-up day promoting the color red, a lunch time activity to write notes of encouragement and a schoolwide blood drive.
Students wearing the color red shows each other that they are supporting each other. It is a dress-up day done every year at Aliso Niguel, and many students as well as staff participate in it.
Lunch time activities are a great way to get students physically involved in the awareness week and really gets them thinking about it. On Oct. 27, Aliso Niguel had a lunch time activity where students could write notes of encouragement to each other. This was to get students focused on all the good things in their lives rather than all of the bad things such as drugs and alcohol.
The blood drive at school was another huge event where students could sign up and donate blood. This activity promotes helping others in hard times and overall emphasizes the main reason for Red Ribbon Week.
During the week, youth and adults around the nation pledge to increase their knowledge by learning more about the destructive effects of drug abuse, including prescription drug misuse, and renew their commitment to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
A couple of things that can be done in communities during Red Ribbon Week are wearing red ribbons and sponsoring an activity. Wearing red ribbons and distributing them to friends, family, volunteers, staff and employees can help raise awareness and get the whole community involved.
Sponsoring a Red Ribbon Week activity such as a fun run, bike-a-thon or even a classroom door decorating contest is a great way to connect with the community and even to get yourself involved in Red Ribbon Week. Taking time out of your day to do one small activity with your community can start a chain of people who also wish to spread awareness.
Many famous figures have chimed in to spread their own beliefs on Red Ribbon week, including Benjamin Alire Sáenz, an American poet and children’s author.
Sáenz once said, “If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.”
Drew Barrymore, an American actress, producer, director and talk show host also said, “In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.”
Red Ribbon Week is not just celebrated within schools; it is nationwide and important to many different people. While most of the actions people take to celebrate it are local, working together connects everyone.
