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Ariella Bucio

Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, drug, violence and tobacco prevention awareness week recognized annually during the month of October.

Last week, Oct. 23-27 was Red Ribbon Week, a week to promote healthy lifestyles for students, which includes being drug- and alcohol-free.

At LHS, Life of A Wildcat helped organize this week. Some students may think that Life of a Wildcat is a club, but it is a lifestyle. Any student can choose to live this lifestyle; they don’t necessarily need to join the group.

Red Ribbon Week, a national event, started as a result of the death of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Kiki Camarena, in 1985. He was working on uncovering a significant drug deal in Mexico and almost busted the case but was killed during his work. Dr. Brenda Nelson, the Prevention and Wellness Coordinator at LHS, said that Camarena insisted on participating in this work because this was the way he could make a difference, he thought.

“Ronald Reagan ended up designating the last week of October in honor of Kiki Camarena with his idea of the mission to make a difference, so that’s how it become a national drug prevention week,” stated Dr. Nelson.

Red Ribbon Week held two main events this year: decorating of the school by Life of A Wildcat and the health fair.

The decorating event was held for a few hours on Saturday, Oct. 21, before the week officially began. The purpose of the decorating was to make students aware it was Red Ribbon Week. All the windows were covered in red paint, encouraging healthy lifestyles. The hallway ceilings were covered in ribbon and all red decorations.

The health fair was held on Friday, Oct. 27, in the library during all lunch periods. All students were allowed to attend and were encouraged to do so. The fair hosted many different organizations and companies with representatives who gave healthy living tips and tricks.

The goal was for students to have the idea of healthy living in their minds, as Red Ribbon Week supports a lifestyle without drugs and alcohol, and the fair gave alternate ways to live healthy.

Dr. Nelson hopes that “Red Ribbon Week will really [help students] see drug and alcohol use as a health behavior opposed to just a social choice.”

Next year, Red Ribbon Week will be celebrated on Oct. 22-26.