Red Ribbon Week is part of a national celebration in October to highlight the vital role of youth substance use prevention in both individual and community health and to remember those who have lost their lives to substance use. Livingston County’s Drug Use Prevention groups include The Livingston County Community Alliance (LCCA), Livingston COMMUNITY PREVENTION Project (LCPP), Youth-Led Advisory Board (Y-LAB), and Be the Change (BTC). This year local youth invite teens and community members to take a visible stand against drugs by celebrating Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31).
This year’s celebration will kick off on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, with a social media Vampire Hunt in Livingston County.
Beginning Monday through Friday, teens from Y-LAB and BTC groups will hide a vampire called “Prevention Pat” in a different local business each day. Y-LAB will share clues on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for hunters to find the vampire.
Once the vampire is found, community members can take a picture and post it tagging @ylp_livingston with the hashtag #SubstanceUseSucks. Visitors who post their pictures with Prevention Pat will be entered to win a prize donated by local businesses. The grand prize is two premiere passes to MJR Movie Theatre and $100 to Outback Steakhouse. One social media participant from each county school district will be drawn to receive a vampire hunt hoodie donated by Signature Signs of Fowlerville. Howell Meijer, Brighton MJR, Brighton Outback Steakhouse, and Signature Signs of Fowlerville contributed to this prevention event!
In addition to the Community Wide Vampire Hunt, students from Y-LAB and BTC are collaborating with their school districts to recognize and promote Red Ribbon Week by distributing posters and wristbands to their peers. Many students will opt to wear red to celebrate the week. To inquire about how your school can get involved please visit www.drugfreelivingston.com
“Red Ribbon Week encourages our entire community to adopt healthy, drug-free lifestyles,” said Sarah McGeorge, director of prevention at Livingston County Catholic Charities. “The campaign brings together parents, schools, and businesses as we look for ways to keep kids and communities drug-free.”
In 1985, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique S. “Kiki” Camarena was killed by drug traffickers. Shortly after his death, citizens from his hometown of Calexico, California, began wearing red ribbons to remember him and commemorate his sacrifice. The National Family Partnership (NFP) created the first official Red Ribbon Week celebration in 1988. NFP continues to coordinate the campaign for families, schools, and communities across the nation each year. Since then, the red ribbon has symbolized a continuing commitment to reducing the demand for illicit drugs in our communities.
“Red Ribbon Week gives us the opportunity to be vocal and visible in our efforts to achieve a drug-free community,” said Sandra Parker, substance use prevention coordinator at Karen Bergbower & Associates. “Research shows that children are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs when parents and other role models are consistent in their opposition to drug use and the misuse of prescription drugs.”
Visit the Livingston County Community Alliance website at www.drugfreelivingston.com for more information about Substance Use Prevention Month and Red Ribbon Week.
The LCPP was formed in 2008 and implements several prevention programs that have been proven to impact substance use and related problems. LCPP places an emphasis on youth-led prevention, engaging youth in the prevention process, while building assets and fostering success. Youth are encouraged to join local youth-led initiatives as well as participate in our countywide youth-led advisory board.
The LCCA is a countywide, anti-drug coalition that aims to unite the Livingston County community to reduce and prevent youth substance use and to live a safe and drug-free lifestyle. Our purpose is to connect the Livingston County community to establish and promote healthy community norms concerning the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.
