We are painting the county red! Richland County is celebrating Red Ribbon Week Nov. 7-11. The Red Ribbon Week campaign is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year. Red Ribbon Week provides all community members with the ideal opportunity to unite and make a visible stand against drugs. Here in Richland County, we are taking it one step further. We want to tell our youth that we support them in choosing to live drug-free. We want them to know that we care about the decisions they make.
Our goal this year is to bring Red Ribbon Week beyond the walls of the schools and into the community. Preventing youth drug use is so important it takes a community to effect change and really make a difference. Surveys conducted in local schools show that 25% of our high school students are binge drinking (more than five drinks at a sitting) and there are dramatic increases reported by 8th grade students. We see that over 48% of Richland County high school students have used tobacco at least once, and 29% have used marijuana. These numbers tell us our youth need strong community support, because many are struggling. We can also see that the majority of our students are not making these dangerous choices, but they too need our support in a world full of pressure and misperceptions.
Red Ribbon Week is something everyone can join in celebrating. Everyone is encouraged to wear red and display red ribbons as visibly as possible. Many businesses are supporting this effort by painting red ribbons on their windows, creating red displays, and giving discounts to customers wearing red. The faith community is asked to include the Red Ribbon Week message in bulletins, sermons, and youth activities. Red ribbons can be worn, tied to trees or fences, and the newspaper is providing one for each household to post visibly in their windows.
Join us in celebrating Red Ribbon Week, Nov 7-11 by showing our students care about the decisions they make. This will be an amazing show of support as Richland County sees red!
Red Ribbon Week is hosted by STAND, a subcommittee of the Partnership for Promise. If you would like more information please contact Bridget or Nicole at 433-4097.
*Data was obtained from the 2010 Prevention Needs Assessment
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