Wear a Red Ribbon to Support the Fight Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The Sandoval County DWI Prevention Program staff is gearing up for its annual Red Ribbon Week campaign to promote the wisdom of avoiding drug and alcohol abuse.

The campaign calls on all county residents to wear red ribbons on their clothing during the week to support the cause. The county commission issued a proclamation formally designating the period from Friday, October 23, 2015 to Friday, October 30, 2015 as Red Ribbon Week in Sandoval County.

While all county residents are asked to support the campaign by wearing red ribbons, the county’s DWI Prevention Program staff will focus its education efforts on middle school and high school students. Each day during the week, staff will visit schools to lead activities designed to help young people make the right choices in regard to alcohol and drugs.

For instance, on Monday, October 26, 2015, they will be at Bernalillo Middle School, where students will be plant tulips as part of a program called “Plant the Promise” to be drug free. Students also will decorate the school’s fence with items representing this year’s Red Ribbon Week theme, “Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free.”

These activities are part of the National Red Ribbon Campaign that started as a response to the torture and murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985 in Mexico City. After his death, the National Family Partnership began the continuing tradition of displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance toward drug use.

Each year, the Sandoval County Commission joins the campaign by declaring a Red Ribbon Week in Sandoval County. The commission made this year’s declaration at its October 1 meeting.

A full schedule of Red Ribbon Week events is available here.