Drug-Free South Celebrates Red Ribbon Week All Month Long

“A Healthy Me is Drug Free” is the campaign this year for Red Ribbon Week, a week-long celebration to promote a drug-free lifestyle.  The Red Ribbon has been worn as a symbol since 1985 when DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was murdered. Angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons to show their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America.

In Tennessee, the group Drug-Free South plans to take its message further this year by promoting awareness all month long.  They plan to visit schools across Tennessee giving lectures and handing out information to students on the truth about drugs.

Anne Vallieres with Drug-Free South said, “We will see students in Murfressboro, Clarksville, Smyrna, Fairview, Watertown, Lake County and Crockett County. It is important to reach as many people as possible with these messages—before it is too late.”

Drug-Free South is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World which is operated out of Los Angeles, California. It is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.  The organization gives away a “Truth About Drugs” booklet, an informational pamphlet that details short- and long-term effects of drugs, common street names and myths that a dealer might use to make a sale. 

Since its inception, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World has promoted drug-free living and celebrated Red Ribbon Week.

According to Vallieres, “Red Ribbon Week is a time for us all to come together to end the drug crises in our country. Everyone should participate.”

For more information or to schedule a seminar on the truth about drugs, visit www.drugfreesouth.org.