The Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year. In a show of support for a campaign committed to creating a drug-free America, the California Highway Patrol encourages everyone to take a stand against drugs during Red Ribbon Week, October 23rd – 31st.
Throughout the week, CHP officers will be participating in various Red Ribbon Week events statewide. Many of these events will be held at schools, allowing officers the opportunity to share their insight with students on how drugs can destroy a person’s life.
“Consequences that result from the choices made during our youth, can follow us for the rest of our lives,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “We encourage children and young adults to make smart decisions, which include living a drug-free life.”
The Red Ribbon Campaign was initiated in 1985 following the brutal murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena in Mexico. Camarena, who had been a police officer in southern California prior to becoming an agent in 1974, joined the DEA because he wanted to ‘make a difference’ in the fight against drugs.
Shortly after his death, friends and family members wore red satin ribbons in Camarena’s memory and Camarena Clubs were launched in California high schools. Club members pledged to lead lives free from drug abuse to honor the sacrifices Camarena and others have made on behalf of all Americans. The campaign caught on throughout the nation, and in 1988 a presidential proclamation designated the last week of October as National Red Ribbon Week.
