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It’s been nearly 30 years since the first National Red Ribbon Campaign was hosted by the National Family Partnership.
The red satin ribbon – evolved from red badges once worn to honor the commitment of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent – continues to raise awareness of the destructiveness caused by drugs in America.
Red Ribbon Week is celebrated nationally Oct. 23 to 31. At JBER, the drug-free campaign will extend to include activities throughout the month of October.
“And it’s not just happening that one week, or that one month,” said Maxine Martinez, Army Substance Abuse Program alcohol and drug control officer. “It’s something that we need to be cognizant about so we can build resiliency skills, so people don’t get involved with drugs.”
Each year the campaign’s theme – submitted by school-age children and selected by NFP members – changes to more appropriately and successfully appeal to the nation’s youth.
The 2016 National Red Ribbon Campaign theme is, “YOLO [you only live once.] Be drug-free.” The theme was created by Kristopher Jeremiah Oakes and Logan Brehm, sixth graders at Claysburg-Kimmel Elementary School in Claysburg, Pennsylvania.
Students from schools throughout JBER will unite at two parks on the installation to spell the year’s theme Oct. 20. The display, with support from security forces and other agencies on the installation, will be captured with an aerial photo, to be printed on posters and delivered to the participating schools.
ASAP members take a creative approach when teaching about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and they employ various methods to get their message across.
ASAPs creativity is best illustrated with their use of “CSI: Prescription Drug Abuse,” an interactive game in which participants play the role of detectives, employed to find indicators for prescription drug abuse.
“When people are moving around talking and discussing they are able to retain information a little better,” said Theresita Cliett, ASAP risk-reduction coordinator.
Outreach booths will be set up at the base hospital Oct. 12, and at Building 600 Oct. 24, encouraging everyone to take the pledge to be drug-free, she said.
Within the last five years, 70 to 80 percent of people under the age of 25 who take drugs first experiment with something out of a medicine cabinet, said George Mongar, ASAP employee assistance program professional.
Twice a year there’s a national campaign for prescription drug take back, in October and April, he said.
“This year we’re not participating in that because [our clinics at JBER] have the only locations in Anchorage with Med Safe turn-in-boxes,” he said. “The only other location in Alaska that has it is at Fort Wainwright.”
During the week of Oct. 17, Aurora Military Housing will host a Best of the Red housing-decoration contest. The idea is to engage not just children but the whole family unit.
Interested JBER artists can participate in the base poster contest. ASAP will deliver posters to JBER schools to encourage participation.
“We made arrangements with Aurora housing, and they will post some of the posters at their office on base,” Martinez said.
ASAP will also partner with other agencies throughout the installation in support of Red Ribbon Week.
“We want to partner with other agencies because drug abuse overlaps with a lot of other high-risk behaviors, like domestic violence,” Martinez said “It overlaps with financial issues, behavioral issues, and suicide [among others.] We don’t just look in our lane. We need to look further and beyond that.”
Being drug free is not just a value for the child; it’s a value for the military.
“The military makes you responsible for your own behaviors,” Martinez said. “It’s important that we expand it. People realize it’s more than a child function, a youth function. Even though it started in the schools as a grassroots program, it is something that should be adopted by every layer of society.”
For more information call ADAPT at 580-2181, ASAP at 384-1418.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2016 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 210490 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JBER observes drug-free campaign in October, by SSgt Javier Alvarez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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