Red Ribbon Week just passed and was celebrated at the high school. Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and  drug abuse prevention and awareness campaign; it is celebrated annually at HHS every October.

This past Wednesday was the “Wear Red” day to support the initiative. Red Ribbon Week began in 1985, after the death of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena, who was murdered by drug traffickers.

The purpose of this week is to show everyone in high school the dangers of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol abuse, and what it can lead to. This campaign is meant to get people thinking and concerned about the effects of these substances.

Red Ribbon Week supports the decision to live a drug-free lifestyle. Many officials praise the importance of the week, as it helps to provide an accurate picture of drug use, especially to young people.

Red Ribbon Week activities occur all around the world, including Hillsborough. Around the school there’s various activities that can be done to celebrate and show the importance of this week. We started the week with a morning announcement with the recognition of Red Ribbon Week.

The municipal alliance sponsored the DIRT presentation for freshman, and on Wednesday, everyone had the opportunity to wear red, and support the decision to live a healthy lifestyle. REBEL held an informational activity in support during lunches on Thursday.

Even though Red Ribbon Week is still around, drug use and overdoses have become more of a problem nowadays, kids in elementary school should start talking about it sooner. The younger the kids are the better to start teaching them all the facts about drugs and alcohol; the sooner they learn, the sooner they can stay away from bad habits.

Research has progressed in recent years, which has shown people the real cost of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. In the past, young teens never knew as many of the effects of tobacco, and now there is so many facts and information to inform us of the dangers. 

Facts and research are so easily accessible anywhere people look such as buses, schools, offices, doctors, advertisements, and many more places; there is always help for anyone who needs it at any time.

Red Ribbon Week is an important week and teaches people about real life issues, and it should be taken more seriously. Living a happy and safe life is something everyone wants and strives for, and drugs cannot be any reason to stop any person from living their life to the fullest.