The first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign, organized by the National Family Partnership, sponsors the annual National Red Ribbon Celebration. Its mission is to raise drug awareness, forwarding its message of hope across the nation and encouraging our youth to live healthy and drug-free lives
The 2014 Theme
Red Ribbon Week, in its 29th year, is the largest and oldest drug-prevention campaign in the United States, reaching 80 million people across the nation each year.
Each fall, The Red Ribbon Theme Contest invites slogan and design submissions from young people; with the winning slogan and design used throughout the following year in communities and schools throughout the nation.
The winning theme for 2014, created by New York 7th grader, Alexa Doughterty, is Love Yourself. Be Drug Free. According to Alexa, she came-up with the theme because drugs are so harmful, and in choosing not to take them, a person demonstrates love for themselves by not harming themselves.
In contrast to loving oneself and being drug-free is the harsh reality of drug use and abuse. According to Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, and author of The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction, the individual abusing drugs or alcohol will, if the abuse continues unchecked, accumulate so much damage to their mental and physical selves that the overall quality of their life deteriorates. The person’s life becomes filled with misery and despair, and happiness will elude them.
While it is possible to fully rehabilitate the addict or alcoholic, much suffering and damage ensues between the time when substance abuse begins—and when it ends. Ideally, a person would understand the truth about drugs and drug use, and the consequences of drug abuse and addiction before ever making the choice to begin walking down the road of substance abuse.
To that end, drug prevention education is a vital part of helping our children and youth understand well enough to make good choices when faced with drugs, and the opportunity to use them.
Drug Prevention Education
A 2008 study of the Narconon drug education program clearly showed that a child’s attitude towards drug could be changed and improved through drug prevention education.
Narconon Arrowhead has delivered drug education presentations across the state of Oklahoma, and in Arkansas and Kansas. At the height of its drug prevention education delivery, drug prevention specialists were speaking to around eight-hundred students–including elementary, middle and high-school students– on a weekly basis.
After each lecture series students filled-out survey questions designed to ascertain how their attitudes towards drugs and drug-use changed, or improved. Based on thousands of survey responses accumulated over the past several years, students indicated they will stop their drug use if they are already using; will stop others around them from using drugs; and will abstain from drug use themselves.
The theme which winds as a constant thread through the lively, engaging and age-appropriate Narconon drug educations presentations is one of “Say No to Drugs!”
And when a person says no to drugs and drug use, he or she at the same time is saying, “Yes!” to life, to better health, to hope for the future, and to the chance to achieve one’s hopes and dreams.
Saying no to drugs is saying “Yes!” to the opportunity to become educated, the opportunity to succeed at a profession, the opportunity to achieve prosperity, and the chance to one day have a family and children of one’s own.
Saying, “No!” to drugs is a vital way to show love for oneself, and to those who love you. It is a best choice for a lifetime.
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