By Vincent Ramos, Kaylee Eiber
Staff Writer, Editor-in-Chief
While October is a month where people relish in fall spirit, pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween, we commonly overlook Red Ribbon Week.
We’ve all seen the posters put up and red ribbons passed out during the last week of October throughout our years in school. This week, however, is far more than that. The week is a time for people to remember the death of Enrique Kiki Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration Officer brutally murdered by Mexican drug traffickers.
Red Ribbon Week felt like a really big deal in elementary school but as we grew up, its existence was almost forgettable. Nowadays, we get an email informing us about the new lunchtime activity ASB has in store for us. It seems like Red Ribbon Week is just an excuse for people to have some fun on campus. What ever happened to the weight of Red Ribbon Week? Why did it only feel prevalent when we were young and didn’t even have the mental capacity
to understand the importance of drug abuse prevention?
Even though our school isn’t overrun by drug abuse and students aren’t dying, it is still undoubtedly present. We’ve both experienced someone doing drugs as we enter the restrooms. As highschoolers, we think we are invincible since we’re young and stupid. We think nothing will happen from a hit off a vape and tell ourselves it’ll never turn into an addiction that would ruin our lives. Truthfully, that is a totally real possibility and can happen to any student
on campus. Red Ribbon Week should be a time where we burn that into our brains.
The horrors of drug abuse have affected me (Vincent). People close to me have ruined their lives all for a brief high and it makes me irritated that drug abuse and prevention isn’t taken
very seriously on campus. It’s only a big problem affected by drug abuse are a
if you get caught, and in this new age where anyone can go on Instagram and message a stranger to buy drugs, there has to be more awareness.
We currently approach Red Ribbon Week lightheartedly, creating fun activities and posters, but these don’t fit the tone of what the week stands for. Drugs ruin lives and people need to truly know and understand the severity of what each smoke or drink poses.
Our PTSA works hard to run the event as per state guidelines, but they’re out of touch. An addict, or future addict, is not going to refrain from drug use simply because someone said it was bad. Red Ribbon Week needs to make an impact that goes beyond a lighthearted warning.
Hearing the unfiltered stories of those detrimentally affected by drug abuse are a good beginning to truly impact students. As young adults, we appreciate the truth and can understand the weight of the situation. Having an individual share their story at an assembly without any sugarcoating could truly impact someone and alter the trajectory of their life.
Outside of Red Ribbon Week, drug prevention still needs to remain prevalent. A drunk driving presentation or drug prevention messages incorporated into the bulletin or district newsletter are things that’ll help in the long run. Providing easy access to the substance abuse hotlines on our ID’s or agendas will let students get help, just like with the ones currently listed.
The aim of Red Ribbon Week is to prevent people from using drugs and refrain from any usage their entire life. This is impossible if we don’t start young and put more importance on the weight of Red Ribbon Week and drug abuse prevention. Drugs ruin lives and that should be at the forefront of our brains for a lifetime.