What is Red Ribbon Week Red Ribbon is

What is Red Ribbon Week? Red Ribbon is a national anti-drug campaign that is celebrated annually, October 23 -31. Red Ribbon Week is also a time to pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, whose death led to the creation of the Red Ribbon program. Today, millions of Americans all over the United States continue to wear red ribbons to symbolize their support for a united, drug-free nation.

Why did Red Ribbon Week Start? Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In honor of Kiki's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents then began to form coalitions using Camarena as their model while embracing his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the Red Ribbon. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities.

Why might teens use drugs? There are many different possible causes of teen drug use. Many are reacting to peer pressure and believe that turning to drugs and alcohol is how to become popular in high school. Some use drugs to self-medicate from painful feelings. Some teens even turn to “study aid” drugs like Adderall or Ritalin, because they believe these substances will boost their academic performance. Study aids are highly addictive-and should only be taken with after consulting with a doctor and receiving a prescription Taking medication that is not prescribed to you is VERY DANGEROUS and can often lead to death. High school is often the first time that kids encounter illicit substances, and their curiosity often gets the better of them, and can lead to addiction. What are three coping skills you can utilize when under stress? Our own unique coping skills can help us to release any negative thoughts or feelings that could potentially lead to drug use (view next slide for some examples).

Coping Skill Examples: Talking it out. . Taking a break. . Doing something they love. . Eating well and exercising. . Using relaxation techniques. . Engaging in positive self-talk.

The Facts-Taken from the National Institute on Drug Abuse: More than 42, 500 students from nearly 400 public and private schools across the country participated in this year’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey of drug use and attitudes among American 8 th, 10 th, and 12 th graders. Vaping is still the most commonly used substance. After 2020 ends, we will have the new statistics and changes from 2019 to 2020. *Why do you think there was such a significant increase in HS students Vaping from 2018 -2019?

Effects of Drug Use In High School Using drugs, alcohol or tobacco in high school can cause severe long-term effects. Trying any of these before the age of 21 significantly raises the risk of developing an addiction or drug dependence. Drug abuse can also deplete the brain of certain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, sending high schoolers into a prolonged depression and leaving them susceptible to more destructive behaviors.

Can you empower yourself to be drug free? Self Empowerment Techniques That Help You Be Your Best Self empowerment is about taking control of your life. This involves developing the self-trust and self-awareness you need to set the right goals, make sound decisions, and understand your strengths and weaknesses - so you can thrive. Living a life fueled by self empowerment is a refusal to allow others to make decisions for you. Instead, it’s claiming your own path - regardless of what anyone else says – because you know that path is right for you.

*Journaling Everyday you make decisions, ponder over thoughts, and live out experiences. It’s a big melting pot, which contains a host of insights ready for you to pull out. That’s what journaling helps you to do - it’s a practice that empowers you to examine your life for self empowerment. By getting introspective in your notebook, you can explore your thoughts and experiences more deeply. You can look for the connections, join up the dots, and get clearer on who you are. Journaling isn’t just about mulling over the here and now. You can also use this practice to reflect over your life so you can get more clarity on what’s shaped your beliefs and your thought patterns.

*Make Good Decisions When you lack confidence and you don’t know yourself, it’s easy to be influenced by the people you admire and respect. Especially when it comes to those big, defining decisions! If you don’t trust your own judgement, there’s a good chance you’ll be persuaded. But what others think you should do isn’t necessarily what’s right for you. Often, we know in our gut what the right choice is, but we end up overriding that decision because of fear, ‘logical’ thinking, and the opinions of others. Decisiveness is powerful because it allows you to take control over your life. Instead of procrastinating, you can choose and act. How might peer pressure effect good decision making?

*Set goals When it comes to self empowerment, your goals are the drivers. Set goals and you begin to live your life intentionally. Instead of allowing each day to be like the one before, you set a course that allows you to create the life YOU want. Goals create focus, They tell your brain what’s important (and what is less so). Goals make it easy for you to prioritize what’s on your plate by putting the things that will take you closer to your targets first. Goals are the seeds of change and they put you in the driving seat of your life. What goals do you need to set - in your relationships, school/work, your personal development, your finances, your hobbies, your health and wellbeing etc. ? Set goals that take you closer to the things you want, and take action on them, and you’ll feel more empowered than ever. What is one goal you wish to accomplish before 2021?

*Manage your time Each day, you wake up with 1440 minutes deposited in your time bank account. Time is the greatest equalizer. It doesn’t matter who you are, we all get the same time allocation. It’s what you do with your time that counts. It’s easy to feel disempowered in life when time feels scarce, but the truth is you do have enough time to do it all. It’s simply a case of prioritization and allocation. Self empowerment is about taking responsibility for your time and ensuing you’re using it wisely. Ask yourself: - What are you doing that you don’t really enjoy? - Where are you wasting time through procrastination and distractions? - What could you outsource, delegate, or even scrap all together? - What are you not doing that you’d really love to explore?

*Don’t be afraid to fail If self empowerment is about taking control and using your life to do the things you want, you MUST get comfortable with failure. No one likes to fail. It’s uncomfortable, it can knock our confidence, and it makes us vulnerable to the judgement of others. You can’t create a fully expressed life if you never push yourself out of your comfort zone. The things you want require you to take actions and make decisions that you’ve never taken before. It’s just the way it is! You can’t know everything in advance (and if you do, perhaps you’re not thinking big enough). Give yourself the freedom and permission to get it wrong. Change your perception of failure and see it as a fundamental part of the self-growth process. Turn ‘mistakes’ into learning opportunities and every time things don’t go as you planned, soak up the rush of fresh insights that will help you do more next time

*Love yourself “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have. ” - Robert Holden How’s your relationship with yourself? How do you feel when you look in the mirror? Do you like what you see? Do you think you’re worthy of living life to the full and creating everything you desire? Without self love, everything else becomes so much harder. Nurturing your relationship with yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. In fact, self love is the catalyst to virtually everything (including self empowerment). - Prioritize your self care routines. - Make more space for the things YOU enjoy (and enjoy them without feeling guilty). - Do the work necessary to ensure your self talk is positive, encouraging, and loving. - Practice daily gratitude and own all the abundance you have in your life already. - Exercise, eat well, and take care of yourself like you are the most important person in the world Make sure your cup is full, and you’ll feel empowered to do so much more.

Community Resources/Supports Residential and Outpatient Facilities: · Outreach · Western Queens Prevention Services · Samaritan Daytop Village Online services: Office of Addiction Services and Supports- · https: //oasas. ny. gov/ The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collects information on thousands of state-licensed providers who specialize in treating substance use disorders, addiction, and mental illness· https: //findtreatment. gov/ Free and confidential options and support for people in distress, 24/7. Counselors will respond without judgment and will provide resources to connect you or someone you care about with ongoing support: · National Helpline 1 -800 -662 -HELP (4357) · National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1 -800 -273 -TALK (8255) · Text WELL to 65173. Counseling service, Available 24/7/365