Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week - Discovery Ed Resources
“I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference.” - Enrique Camarena
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October 23 – 31 in the United States. Established in 1985 to honor the memory of Enrique (Kiki) Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Red Ribbon Week symbolizes a commitment to raise awareness to the issues caused by drug abuse in the United States.
First, when educating others on drugs and medicine, it must be made clear that not all drugs are “bad.” Many substances exist that allow our brain and body to function at our best throughout each week. This simple notion is crucial so we avoid misinformation and scare tactics, which aren’t proven to work against harmful drug use. But this distinction is also important because many students are using prescription medication, which is not only legal and allowed at school, but is supported by doctors and caregivers. An honest approach to discussing drug use must include the benefits.
We clarify this concept in our middle school classes by differentiating terminology.
Drug = a nonfood item that changes the body or mind.
Medicine = drugs that are used to treat illness or relieve pain.
Further, Red Ribbon Week puts the focus on the misuse and abuse of drugs. Here are simple definitions we put to use with middle level students.
Misuse = using any drug in a way that is not intended, including accidents with dosage.
Abuse = intentionally using drugs in a way that is unhealthy or illegal.
In my particular school district, we observe Red Ribbon Week each year with daily events to draw awareness to the cause. Like many other schools, we utilize statistics and other facts to celebrate living drug free in combination with special spirit days. Here’s a typical Red Ribbon Week for us:
Monday - Wear RED to show your support.
Tuesday - Wear SUPERHERO GEAR to battle drugs.
Wednesday - Wear SPORTSWEAR to team up against drugs.
Thursday - Wear NEON or TIE-DYE shirts to say ‘Peace Out’ to drugs.
Friday - Wear PAJAMAS to put drugs to rest.
To support Red Ribbon Week, there are a few skills-based units at the middle school level where substance use might fit as content. One that works specifically well is a decision making unit (NHES #5) that focuses on the content of substance use/chemical wellness. For us, in 6th grade we dive into the benefits and downfalls of drugs and medicine, namely the difference between over-the-counter drugs and something like nicotine and tobacco products. By 7th and 8th grade, we are then able to take on other gateway drugs of alcohol and cannabis while referring to the DECIDE model throughout.
Substance Use Statistics
Health educators want to make sure to stay up to date on things since teen trends can change in just a few short months. Here are some current trends with drug abuse according to the National Center for Drug Abuse:
31.9 million people in the United States aged 12 or older have used illegal drugs within the last 30 days.
An additional 53 million people reported having misused prescription drugs or used illegal drugs in the last year.
If alcohol and tobacco are included, the number of individuals 12 and older abusing drugs is 165 million.
1 in 10 middle school students and 1 in 4 high schoolers used a vaping device in the past 30 days.
70 percent of those who use an illegal drug before age 13 develop a substance use disorder within 7 years.
Since 2019, illegal drug use in youth has been positively affected due in large part to quality skills-based health education programs.
Significant declines were recently reported across a wide range of drugs for many age cohorts, including cocaine, hallucinogens, and nonmedical use of amphetamines, tranquilizers, and prescription opioids.
The NIH reports further details in substance use among teens:
Alcohol
8th graders: 17.2% reported using alcohol in 2021, remaining steady compared to 20.5% in 2020.
10th graders: 28.5% reported using alcohol in 2021, a significant decrease from 40.7% in 2020.
12th graders: 46.5% reported using alcohol in 2021, a significant decrease from 55.3% in 2020.
Cannabis
8th graders: 7.1% reported using cannabis in 2021, compared to 11.4% in 2020.
10th graders: 17.3% reported using cannabis in 2021, compared to 28.0% in 2020.
12th graders: 30.5% reported using cannabis in 2021, compared to 35.2% in 2020.
Nicotine
8th graders: 12.1% reported vaping nicotine in 2021, compared to 16.6% in 2020.
10th graders: 19.5% reported vaping nicotine in 2021, compared to 30.7% in 2020.
12th graders: 26.6% reported vaping nicotine in 2021, compared to 34.5% in 2020.
Discovery Education
In prepping and planning, I continue to reference Discovery Education resources, including their social impact programs as well as virtual field trips. These are available for educators and anyone working with young people. Some of these resources are created in conjunction with the CVS Health Foundation and CATCH Global Foundation.
The Discovery Education Red Ribbon Week resources are all aligned to learning standards and designed to integrate into any lesson plan. You can find all the resources available at no cost here.
Resources include:
Cannabis Safety Middle School Classroom Activities
Designed with the whole child in mind, the cannabis classroom resources from Ask, Listen, Learn focus on how kids interact with society and how society influences their behavior. Educators can consider this resource in order to equip students with vital prevention resources and dive deep into the science, data, and facts surrounding the current state of cannabis.
Medication Safety Elementary Classroom Activities
As part of CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program, Dose of Knowledge offers digital content to empower students with the facts about medication safety, prescription drug misuse, and opioid misuse prevention.
Professional Learning
The Social Emotional Learning Coalition offers an on-demand learning series to address multiple topics related to adolescent health, including responsible decision making. Educators may enjoy the professional growth and also entwining SEL standards for students.
Virtual Field Trip
Created in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Operation Prevention offers real-life stories of addiction and recovery from athletes and musicians. Educators might find this to be a nice supplement to their lessons, specifically for a flipped classroom or solo/small group work.
Reflection Questions for Teachers
What skill unit and content do you pair in your curriculum? Where does substance use and chemical wellness best fit, including lessons on tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis products?
Is there an attention getter, images, video, or activities that you have found to work best when discussing decision making? Will you share any ideas or examples?
Do you have any success stories in helping students examine their habits and the influences on their thoughts and actions?
Are there trends in your specific community in regard to youth substance use and abuse? Do you stay up to date on the YRBS data?
Best of luck to everyone as the school year continues! Other activities and lesson ideas are shared throughout the school year on social media. Join the conversation!
YouTube.com/MrTodnem Facebook.com/MrTodnem Twitter.com/ScottAmpersand
References: Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, Drug Enforcement Administration, Discovery Education.