Since its establishment in 1985, the Red Ribbon Week campaign has focused on awareness and education, advocacy, and providing free resources. Millions of lives have been touched worldwide as schools, families, local, state, and national governments, and more have amplified the messages of Red Ribbon Week, used their resources to disseminate information and education, initiated campaigns, and lobbied for change. Drug addiction treatment programs across the country and the globe use the National Family Partnership’s Red Ribbon Week message and materials to support those who struggle with addiction and their families. Every year, Red Ribbon Week runs from October 23 to October 31.
If you have seen or heard about Red Ribbon Week and it has sparked you to learn more, don’t hesitate to call TruHealing Centers to get answers to your questions and find out how we can help you or someone you love enter a drug addiction treatment program. Contact us by calling [Direct] or completing our online form.
Red Ribbon Week Going Strong for 36 Years
Red Ribbon Week was started by parents who were angered by the 1985 murder of a DEA agent by a drug cartel trying to use scare tactics to protect their profitable drug trade. These activist parents began a grassroots campaign to wear red ribbons to raise awareness of the damage and destruction that drugs cause in the lives of Americans.
Drug awareness is at the heart of Red Ribbon Week. The National Family Partnership (NFP) and the Red Ribbon Project grew out of the events of 1985 and have focused on mobilizing communities everywhere to prioritize the education of young people and encourage drug prevention projects, activities, and awareness campaigns.
Advocacy is a significant part of the NFP goal for Red Ribbon Week and beyond. Advocating for families and children by bringing concerns about drug abuse and addiction to those in local, state, and federal government who propose legislation and create policy. Without the support of our legislators, they believe, a grassroots movement will struggle to create meaningful change.
Red Ribbon Week Resources
Resources offered for free download on the Red Ribbon Week website provide an enormous assist for local groups, families, schools, churches, and others who are committed to working with children and youth around drug awareness. As a source for enormous amounts of educational materials and prevention literature, NFP supports all partners with information about campaigns such as:
- The Red Ribbon Campaign
- Red Ribbon Certified Schools
- Lock Your Meds
- Safe Homes/Safe Parties
Fighting Drug Addiction
Red Ribbon Week fights drug addiction by focusing on children. Engaging young people in conversations, presenting them with evidence-based information, and making them part of the solution is the best way to ensure a future in which drugs have little sway, can’t ruin lives, and assume their rightful place – off the streets.
Awareness is the only way to fight against stigma, and it is stigma that stifles dialogue, acts as a barrier to help-seeking, and forces drug addiction into the shadows. At TruHealing Centers, we applaud the efforts of the National Family Partnership and their Red Ribbon Campaign for working tirelessly to reframe the conversation about drug addiction and invite and enable healthy change.
Celebrate Red Ribbon Week at TruHealing Centers
If you or someone you love has unanswered questions about drug use, signs of abuse, what drug rehab is all about, or anything else sparked by Red Ribbon Week, reach out today. Our proven, evidence-based treatments help thousands of people a year.
As we all pin red ribbons on our collars or lapels on October 23, let’s not stop there. Let’s use our voices to spread the word about Red Ribbon Week and what it seeks to achieve. Use this opportunity to encourage a friend or loved one to seek help, share Red Ribbon Campaign educational materials with your children or students, or examine your own relationship to drugs to see if you are ready for change. How can we help? Let us know when you call us at [Direct] or use our online form to reach out.
