“Red Ribbon Week” October 23-31 Raises Awareness About Drug Prevention

The 27th annual “Red Ribbon Week,” October 23-31, will raise awareness about drug prevention around the country. Families can get involved this year by entering a contest to promote awareness in their neighborhoods, and win a drug prevention grant for their children’s school.

The week was created after parents, students and teachers began wearing red ribbons in commemoration of the 1985 murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Kiki Camarena.

The National Family Partnership has announced a Red Ribbon Week contest that families can enter to win a $1,000 grant for their school, and a new iPad for their home. The DEA is co-sponsoring the contest. To participate, families and students are invited to decorate the outside of their homes with the message, “The Best Me is Drug Free.” They can take a photo with the family and their Red Ribbon Week decoration, and upload it to www.redribbon.org/contest or www.facebook.com/RedRibbonWeek by November 2nd. To upload the photos, you must be at least 18 years old.

Voting for entries will take place November 2-16 at www.redribbon.org/vote. There will be 10 winners from across the United States, who will be announced at events at their schools in December.