Red Ribbon Week in Putnam
The Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition will join with community members and organizations, including the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, to promote a healthy and drug-free lifestyle and raise awareness about the dangers associated with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
From Oct. 23 -31 the Putnam County CTC Coalition is joining the nation’s largest drug and alcohol prevention campaign by doing school and community based prevention. Putnam residents are also encouraged to wear red during the week!
The original Red Ribbon campaign was created in honor of U.S. Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camerena, who was kidnapped and killed after uncovering a multibillion-dollar drug ring in Mexico. Red Ribbon Week celebrates the memory of this special man who gave his life in the fight to keep Americans safe from drugs. The CTC Coalition supports his efforts by wearing a red ribbon to symbolize the commitment to living drug-free.
Statistics show that many teen drivers don’t understand the risks associated with marijuana and especially with drugged driving. The week’s activities aim to raise awareness of the many problems related to the use of alcohol and other drugs.
The campaign is a unified way for communities to take stand against drugs and show intolerance for illicit drug use and the consequences to all Americans. Wearing a red ribbon during the last week of October has come to symbolize zero tolerance for alcohol, drug, and tobacco use and a commitment to substance abuse prevention. The goal is to use Red Ribbon Week as a tool to empower community members to make healthy decisions when they are faced with difficult choices.
What Adults in the Community Can Do:
- Take the Red Ribbon Pledge by visiting: http://www.nfp.org/default.asp?PageNum=619
- Wear a red ribbon or red during the observance.
- Hold a “Sock It To Drugs Day” during the week and ask everyone to wear the craziest socks they can find.
- “Say Boo To Boos” with an alcohol and drug free Halloween Party.
- If you are in a school, use student baby pictures for a giant collage entitled, “Born To Be Drug-Free.”
- Involve the whole family in your Red Ribbon celebration with a Family Fun Night, complete with games, trivia, and other activities.
- Champion drug resistance education programs in your community, schools, and businesses.
- Remind your friends and family that recognizing drug abuse often begins at home.
- Support this and other Coalition sponsored initiatives in your community.
Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY or call 845-225-4646. Red Ribbon week will be highlighted on all social networking sites during this important prevention campaign.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
