Red Ribbon

Beach Cities Health District and the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition are joining communities nationwide to raise awareness about prevention of youth substance use during Youth Substance Use Prevention Month in October and Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31.

This year’s Red Ribbon Week theme, “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free,” highlights how choosing to live drug-free can be an act of leadership and courage. The choices young people make can have a positive impact not only on their own well-being but also their friends, families and communities.

The Coalition, along with the support of public health interns from UCLA, developed a Dangers of Youth Substance Use video series to shed light on contributing factors, the path from experimentation to addiction, and how normalization can negatively shape youth perceptions of substance use.

Throughout the week, follow BCHD on social media for information and resources about youth substance use prevention and ways families can help support healthy, informed choices.

About National Red Ribbon Week

The Red Ribbon Campaign® is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year during Red Ribbon Week. National Family Partnership (NFP) is the sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week® celebration and the Red Ribbon Campaign®, started in 1988 after DEA agent Kiki Camarena lost his life in the line of duty three years earlier. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign® is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a drug-free America. A non-profit organization based in Miami, Fla., NFP helps citizens across the country come together to keep children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free, through parent training, networking and sponsoring the National Red Ribbon Campaign®.