Red Ribbon Week started on Oct 25. Students from the peer counseling class worked to put a stop to drugs and underage drinking. Red Ribbon Week was created after Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985 was kidnapped, tortured and brutally murdered in 1985.

To celebrate the meaning of Red Ribbon Week, students dressed up for themed days. On Monday, students dressed up wearing jerseys to “team up against drugs.” Tuesday students and staff wore crazy socks to “sock it to drugs.” Wednesday everyone wore red. Thursday students wore school colors to show that Marjory Stoneman Douglas is against drugs and alcohol, and finally on Monday, Oct 31, everyone wore black to “blackout” drugs.

“Red Ribbon Week is a great way for students at our school to have more awareness about the dangers of illegal drugs and all the consequences they may come with,” sophomore Nyla Hussain said.

Many students feel that the week is a very useful way to spread the word and try to put a stop to illegal drugs and underage drinking.

“I feel that it’s a good idea that we participate in Red Ribbon Week every year,” senior Kyle Wills said. “Although I feel that most teens have made up their minds by high school if they will choose to partake in drugs and alcohol or not, I think it is still important to inform students of the specific consequences it may come along with.”

On Wednesday, Oct 26, peer counselors shared a victim profile to classes about a drunk driving tragedy in order to show others what could possibly happen if they make a poor decision about drinking and driving. Teachers that approved of these presentations did so because they felt it was important to get the word out about the importance of driving sober.

“I really like Red Ribbon Week and the presentations because it teaches teenagers about the harms of drugs and alcohol. It shows us that scary incidents really do happen, and that it’s not just all talk,” senior David Benzaken said.

In the cafeteria, peer counseling students created and hung a red chain from the ceiling, which students made a pledge to say no to drugs and alcohol and signed their name on a red strip of paper which was linked together to create the “chain of life.”