Every year, schools across the nation participate in Red Ribbon Week. It is an annual alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse prevention campaign that motivates students to live a drug-free life. Even though most of the students have heard about Red Ribbon Week since elementary school, the message carries more weight now that we are in high school. We face real life-changing decisions. This year, our school emphasized making this week meaningful, reminding everyone why raising awareness is so important and why the message should not be taken lightly.
The history of Red Ribbon Week goes all the way back to the 1980s, when a DEA agent named Enrique Camarena was killed while investigating drug trafficking. All of Camarena’s friends, family, and community began wearing red ribbons to honor his life accomplishments and to make a statement against drug use. From that moment on, there was an immediate change and a movement was born. This started the tradition of the red ribbon being a symbol of strength and the choice of being drug-free. Without knowing the history of this week, it’s hard to understand the true, unwanted troubles drugs and alcohol can bring into an innocent life.
This year, Olympia High School stepped up to spread awareness. One of the biggest highlights was the “Wear Red Day”. The idea is in the name; wear red to show your support for a drug-free lifestyle. When walking down the halls or sitting in the lunch room, it looked like a sea of red. From red T-shirts, hoodies, socks, to even sunglasses, everyone was committed to participating. This spirit day made the school environment feel like everyone was a part of something much bigger than themselves. For the students, it wasn’t just about wearing the color red but also showing unity within all the grades and standing for a global problem that affects everyone, whether they realize it or not. A senior student, Marcelo Grativol, explained perfectly why he participated in this spirit day. “Wearing red wasn’t just about matching outfits, it was about showing that we actually care about the cause,” Grativol explained. Not only does this create unity in the school community, but it also sends a message to the world. “Me and a couple of friends even made videos during the week to spread awareness because some people don’t take Red Ribbon Week seriously,” Grativol added. The videos can be seen as reminders that staying drug-free isn’t lame, it means choosing your future. Grativol’s perspective added to the feeling that this week wasn’t just another spirit event that students were told to participate in, instead it was something everyone took pride in.
Also, schools aren’t just made up of students, but teachers and dozens of additional faculty members as well. The adults participated as eagerly, if not more, than students, whether it was by wearing red or by lining their classroom hallway with posters, everyone was united to push for a change. To add, some classes held open discussions about how drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can affect students’ lives, however, the conversations were much deeper and more complex than just “don’t do drugs”.
By the end of Red Ribbon Week, the message that living drug-free isn’t just a rule adults pushed on us was clear. This seemingly trivial, but very important decision is something that can protect our futures. High schoolers are still young and have big dreams, whether it’s going to college or joining the work force. Staying healthy and drug-free sets up the best opportunities to reach those goals. This week has been a reminder that even a small symbol can carry strong meanings, and that when a community comes together, a supportive environment can be built and powerful messages can be spread. Even when the ribbons come off and posters come down, the healthy, drug-free lifestyle lives on.
