This week, several activities will be going on at schools in the area to bring a drug prevention message.

Angela Reynolds is the Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator at St. Joseph Youth Alliance for the Drug Free Communities Program. Reynolds said Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign that is used to bring awareness to drug and alcohol use.

“It’s kind of a prevention message that many of the schools and community coalitions use to talk to kids about not using drugs and alcohol,” Reynolds said. “Just kind of a way to raise awareness about drugs and alcohol and the dangers of using those. People wear red ribbons to kind of symbolize their commitment to raise the awareness.”  

There are activities and projects going on throughout the week as part of Red Ribbon Week, including a chalk project at local schools.

“The kids can actually use red and white chalk to make prevention messages and positive messages about not using drugs and alcohol at their schools. We’re (also) going to be helping distribute banners that kids can put up in their schools,” Reynolds said. “We’re going to be placing a banner over Frederick Avenue down toward the Noyes area that promotes Red Ribbon Week.”

According to the Red Ribbon Campaign website, the National Family Partnership NFP provides drug awareness by sponsoring the annual National Red Ribbon Campaign. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America.

For more information about Red Ribbon Week, visit redribbon.org.