This week, we are celebrating Red Ribbon week. It is the time to show the communities throughout America that we are unified and visible stand against drugs. It is an opportunity to send “No Drug” message to young people. It is a good time to demonstrate that we are able to live our life to its fullest without any drugs.

According to National Family Partnership, the Red Ribbon campaign was started when DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency agent Enrique Camarena was murdered by drug traffickers in Mexico City. That’s when the red ribbons were displayed as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs including alcohol. The Red Ribbon is used to show a unified and visible commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America.

Today you will see some classes throughout the campus putting red ribbon around trees and fences on this campus. Please take time to discuss with students and among yourselves about what it means to live drug free life and what we can do to keep a healthy and active lifestyle. It is a good opportunity to educate the young people about what we can do to have a healthy and active life in many ways.

I’d like to share some statistics from Partnership For A Drug-Free America and Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem:
Teenagers whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t, yet only 1 in 4 teens reports having these conversations.
Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among young people.
Alcohol kills 6? times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.
Youth who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than young people who never drink alcohol.
40% of those who started drinking at age 14 or younger later developed alcohol dependence, compared with 10% of those who began drinking at age 20 or older.

Celebrate health and happiness in your lives this week and beyond.

Cheers,

Kelly Gunderson
CHARACTER COUNTS! Coordinator