Red Ribbon Week: Honoring a Hero

Students and citizens across the United States observe Red Ribbon Week in their schools and communities. During this week, students learn about living drug free,  about the effects of drugs on their bodies and about the health benefits of living a drug free lifestyle.

Oftentimes during Red Ribbon Week, students take and renew pledges to live drug free lives while learning how to help their friends and families make good choices about drugs. Everyday citizens also participate in Red Ribbon Week to show their support for a safe and drug free community in which they work and live. However, have you ever wondered what the significance of wearing a red ribbon is and how it relates to living a drug free lifestyle?

Red ribbons first became a symbol of drug free awareness in 1985. That year a man named Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a drug enforcement agent (DEA) was killed in the line of duty. He was protecting people from the dangers of drugs on the front lines of what is known as the “war on drugs” in the United States in the 80s. Officier Camarena was a very well respected member of his community and within his department. To honor his memory and show support of his life’s work, people who knew him began wearing red ribbons. They wanted others to know he had given his life to save people from the harmful use of drugs and the impact it has on families and their communities.

This demonstration of honor and dedication to living drug free lives caught the attention of former First Lady, Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan, just like Agent Camarena, also fought very hard against drugs and she too wore a red ribbon to show her support of the cause.

As red ribbons spread across the country, even more people took notice. Organizations that are dedicated to family values decided to join the drug free cause. One of these organizations, the National Family Partnership, founded Red Ribbon Week in 1988 with the help and support of Mrs. Reagan. This group took the red ribbon movement all the way to Washington, D.C. to help bring awareness to a national level. 

With each passing year, more and more people participate in Red Ribbon Week and communities began to realize that taking a stand against drugs was important and so was educating the youth about staying drug free. Today, more than 80 million people participate in Red Ribbon Week every October all across the 

country.