Red Ribbon Week and D.A.R.E. educate kids about drug abuse and prevention.
It’s Red Ribbon Week!
Each year, wear a red ribbon in honor of Enrique (kiki) Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Agent. Camarena was murdered in Mexico for his work against drugs. The National Family Partnership organized the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign to call awareness to drug use and abuse. NFP sponsors the National Red Ribbon Campaign and provides drug abuse information.
DEA Agent Enrique Camarena
Since its beginning in 1985, the red ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country wore these ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America. The red ribbon symbol became a way to honor the fallen agent, who gave his life to stop drug use.
Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent, was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he joined the US Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it. “I’m only one person,” he told her, “but I want to make a difference.” On Feb. 7, 1985, the 37-year-old Camarena left his office to meet his wife for lunch. Five men appeared at the agent’s side and shoved him into a car. One month later, Camarena’s body was found. He had been tortured to death.
The Battle Against Drugs: Red Ribbon Week
In honor of Camarena’s memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors wore red satin ribbons. Parents, sick of the destruction by alcohol and other drugs, formed coalitions. Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of the ribbons in Camarena’s memory.
In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the this ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and families. The National Family Partnership (NFP) and its network of individuals and organizations deliver his message of hope to millions of people every year through the National Red Ribbon Campaign.
In schools across the country, child learn about drug abuse and prevention, D.A.R.E., each year. At the beginning of the school year, schools focus on getting the message out through the DARE program. DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Millions of school children around the world benefit from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.
D.A.R.E. and Red Ribbon Week
Support D.A.R.E. and this important campaign. Educate yourself on drug use. Learn how to raise awareness about illegal drug use, and help keeps take a stand in honor of themselves. This program helps kids learn that they can “just say no” to drugs in their communities. Empower kids to stay away from drug use that can derail their education and take them down a path of life-long addiction. Addiction is a difficult cycle to break. D.A.R.E. and Red Ribbon campaign provide the tools they need to stay away from these destructive actions.