CHOICES Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - CHOICES invites the community to join in celebrating Red Ribbon Week 2008 , to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles.  "Red Ribbon Week is about encouraging kids to be drug-free and marking the progress we've made." said CHOICES Prevention Specialist, LeeAnn Human.  "Red Ribbon Week provides the community with an opportunity to show support for our youth and their commitment to drug prevention and education."

CHOICES is sponsoring the community-wide celebration from October 20th -24th, featuring a presentation by guest speaker Ken Winters entitled "Alcohol & Adolescent Brain Development".  Adults and teens are invited to this presentation, which will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Avalon School Library.  The event will take place directly following Secondary Back to School night.

About 125 Avalon students in grades 7, 9, and 11 participated in the 2007 California Healthy Kids Survey, a survey that is conducted every two years in schools across the state.  Among the findings:

• The percentage of students reporting they had used tobacco in the month before the survey fell, from 19 percent in 2005 to 8 percent in 2007.
• Alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance among Avalon students with 69 percent of students reporting they had used alcohol at some point in their lives. This percentage has dropped 10 percent since 2005, and the past month use has dropped 13 percent.
• Marijuana remained the most commonly used illicit drug among students. 35 percent of all students surveyed in 2007 reported having used marijuana at some point in their lives, down from 53 percent in 2005. Past-month use of marijuana was 12 percent in 2007, compared to 36 percent in 2005

The first Red Ribbon Celebration was organized in 1986 by a grassroots organization of parents concerned about the destruction caused by alcohol and drug abuse. The red ribbon was adopted as a symbol of the movement in honor of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration who was kidnapped and killed while investigating drug traffickers. The campaign has reached millions of children and has been recognized by the U.S. Congress.

"Red Ribbon Week is a chance to be visible and vocal in our desire for a drug-free community," said LeeAnn Human.   "Research shows that children are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs when parents and other role models are clear and consistent in their opposition to substance use and abuse."

For more information about Red Ribbon Week or prevention resources, visit our website.