VICENZA, Italy -- Each year, during the last week of October, America shows its commitment to a drug-free lifestyle during Red Ribbon Week, broadcasting a strong message of intolerance against the use of drugs that reaches millions of children, families and communities throughout the country.
The message was so potent, it traversed an ocean to reach Vicenza Middle School Pumas, who enthusiastically joined the celebration and adopted the symbol of their dedication in standing against drug abuse.
The history that fuels the Red Ribbon campaign was started with the story of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a young man who dreamt of becoming an agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Camarena's dream came true in 1974, when he joined the DEA, embracing the belief that an individual can make a difference.
After three years in Calexico, Calif., and four years working for the Fresno District of Northern California, Camarena received orders to Mexico where he remained on the trail of the country's biggest traffickers, in 1985 getting very close to unlocking a multibillion dollar drug pipeline. His battle ended Feb. 7, 1985, before he could expose the drug trafficking operations to the public.
On that day, the 37-year-old was kidnapped and tortured to death, his body found March 5 of the same year in the small city of Angostura, in Sinaloa.
Saddened by his murder, his family, friends and eventually people all over the country embraced his belief and united to take a visible stand against drugs. The movement adopted the red ribbon as the symbol of Camarena's memory.
The National Family Partnership, started as a non-profit organization in 1980 by a few parents who decided to play a leadership role in drug prevention, sponsored in 1988 the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. The event activated communities to educate youth, encouraging drug prevention activities through a theme that characterizes each year's campaign that reaches millions of people from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31. Red Ribbon Week was then officially proclaimed by the U.S. Congress on the same year through an act that designated the last week of October as National Red Ribbon Week, reaffirmed by a series of annual Congressional resolutions.
Vicenza students participated in Red Ribbon Week, this year's national theme being: "Your future is key, so stay drug-free." They embraced the slogan that emphasizes that their future is too precious to be affected and wasted by drug use.
The students showed their commitment with a variety of meaningful activities scheduled throughout the week.
These included a different dress code for each day of the week such as wearing camouflage or patriotic clothing to "stand strong against drugs" and wearing pajamas to symbolically "put drugs to rest."
The school has been wrapped in red ring chains containing about 1,300 personalized messages written by the Vicenza Pumas, and walls were filled with colorful posters that illustrate the 2017 theme (two of them shown here). Showing off some technical skills, the video production class made some video commercials against the use of drugs; the graphics class created some posters; and the computer apps class created short animated presentations.
"Solving the drug problem requires individual decision-making," said Sandra Class, manager of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program, USAG Italy. "Students must realize that their future and their choices matter."
Teachers and parents have the fundamental duty of educating with the purpose of leading children to healthy life choices, added Santana Maldonado, counselor, Adolescent Support and Counseling Services.
"For children of this age, prevention is the key. My hope for this next generation is to know about the danger of drugs before they get caught up in a possible epidemic," Maldonado said.
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