Red Ribbon Week is Recognized in the State of New Hampshire House
October 19th, 2022 – Miami, FL – On behalf of National Family Partnership, we would like to thank Congressman Chris Pappas and New Hampshire First Congressional District Constituents for recognizing Red Ribbon Week. Below you will find an excerpt of Congressman Chris Pappas addressing the House on October 16th, 2022.
Congressman Chris Pappas: Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Red Ribbon Week. In 1988, the National Family Partnership dedicated the week of October 23-31 to raising awareness about the dangers of drug use and the harm that drug trafficking brings to our communities. For the past 34 years the NFP has continued their work, raising awareness for families and schools in neighborhoods across New Hampshire.
For all too many New Hampshire families--including mine--the nation's drug crisis is deeply personal. Many of us have lost neighbors, friends, and loved ones to overdoses and the harmful effects of drug use in recent years. We have learned that the pain of addiction hurts not just one member of our community, but us all. As the representative for New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I remain firmly committed to improving the drug-detection capabilities of our law enforcement officials and will not stop calling for the resources to help those struggling with addiction to lead productive, healthy lifestyles. This is why I was proud to introduce the Dark Web Interdiction Act of 2022 as well as the National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act. These bills work to strengthen our law enforcement's ability to go after those trafficking drugs on the dark web, as well as providing funding for law enforcement and service agencies to support children who have experienced a traumatic event, like witnessing a drug overdose by a loved one, to support their wellbeing and future success in life.
The mission of Red Ribbon Week to bring these issues into the light and to educate our youth about the dangers of drugs is critical to begin healing our state and our country. I am honored to work with the many New Hampshire partners taking on this challenge, including our healthcare and recovery workers, Drug Free Communities, First Responders, and law enforcement from the local state and federal level including the DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. Each partner carries on the mission to stop illicit substances from harming our communities, while never giving up hope for those in recovery.
On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to thank the National Family Partnership and the Drug Enforcement Agency for your work on this issue and hope my fellow Granite Staters will join me in recognizing the 2022 National Red Ribbon Week.
###
About the National Family Partnership
The National Family Partnership was established in 1980 and is a national leader in drug prevention, education, and advocacy. Its mission is to lead our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and oldest drug prevention campaign. NFP created the campaign in response to the 1985 abduction and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. In addition to the Red Ribbon Campaign®, NFP sponsors the Lock Your Meds® Campaign to prevent prescription drug abuse. Learn more about Red Ribbon Week at www.redribbon.org and NFP at www.nfp.org.
