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DEA Reports Widespread Threat of Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine

By Drug Enforcement Administration, Administrator Anne Milgram on Mar 27, 2023 1:14:32 PM

DEA Issues Public Safety Alert on Xylazine-01

Topics: prevention dea
3 min read

2023 National Red Ribbon Theme Announced "Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free.™"

By NFP on Jan 30, 2023 9:00:00 AM

2023 theme - clean

January 30th, 2023 – Miami, FL– Today the National Family Partnership (NFP) unveiled its 2023 Red Ribbon Week Theme, "Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free.™". Submitted by Danielle Helm, a Youth Service Coordinator from Russell County Middle School in Russell Springs, Kentucky. This year’s theme is a reminder that everyday Americans across the country make significant daily contributions to their communities by being the best they can be because they live Drug-Free!

Each year, the National Family Partnership sponsors the Red Ribbon Week Theme Contest. The theme contest invites millions of Americans across the country to submit a unique slogan that captures the essence and mission of the campaign. Danielle’s theme was chosen because it encourages us to do our individual parts to keep our communities safe, healthy and drug free. All segments of the community, health care workers, police officers, educators, school bus drivers, parents… people just like you and me, are examples of what we can achieve through self-dedication, care, and commitment. The theme encourages everyone to use their voice to make a difference no matter who they are, where they’re from or what they do. The possibilities are endless when we work together!

“I chose this theme because drugs alter our current brain development and hinders further growth. Drugs decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the reward system of our brain, such as Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. This can block our brain from naturally experiencing happiness,” said Danielle. “"Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free". is about making positive choices to be happy and healthy-that is being kind to our mind.”

NFP organized the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign in response to the murder of Drug Enforcement Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. After his murder, parents, and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the destruction caused by drugs in America.

“The theme contest is just one-way NFP brings awareness to the community,” said Peggy B. Sapp, NFP President. “Each year we strive to engage the public by inviting them to share what living Drug-Free means to them. This year we are inviting them to show us what Drug-Free looks like by sharing different photos of themselves as representatives of the community.”

Theme submissions are accepted each year from January 1st through December 4th and winners of the contest receive $500 in Ribbon Week themed merchandise courtesy of Nimco, Inc. NIMCO is the only place families, children, and schools can purchase Red Ribbon Merchandise Theme material to support ongoing drug education in the schools.

Red Ribbon Week takes place each year from October 23rd through 31st. We invite you to join us by getting involved. Learn more about the contest and the campaign by visiting www.RedRibbon.org.

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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.

 

 

 

Topics: red ribbon week prevention red ribbon theme recognition red ribbon campaign
3 min read

National Red Ribbon Week® Photo Contest Brings Drug Prevention Awareness to Schools Across America

By NFP on Dec 5, 2022 8:52:28 AM

The 2022 Red Ribbon Photo Contest Winners Announced

 

December 1st, 2022 – Miami, FL– The results are in! The National Family Partnership (NFP) is proud to announce the nineteen (19) winners of its 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week® Photo Contest, held in conjunction with National Red Ribbon Week,® which takes place each year from October 23rd through 31st. Families and individuals who entered on behalf of their schools will receive an Apple iPad and a $1,000 donation will be made to the K-12 school of their choice in support of drug-free prevention education.

Sponsored by National Family Partnership (NFP) and co-sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the annual contest invites families and schools across the country to decorate the fronts of their homes and schools with a double-looped red ribbon to create awareness about the importance of staying drug-free. In addition to the double-looped red ribbon, all photo contest submissions were required to incorporate the 2022 campaign Theme, Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free. ™

NFP has been the leading organization in drug-free prevention for forty (40) years. NFP is committed to helping families and children reach their full potential and it is impossible to help without donations such as NIMCO. NIMCO is the only place families, children, and schools can purchase Red Ribbon Merchandise Theme material to support ongoing drug education in the schools.

Melissa Terlaje, a school counselor and advocate for Red Ribbon Week at Chinook in Auburn, Washington, submitted her photo on behalf of the school and received the School Judges Award. “This is a huge honor not only for my school but also for our district as this is the first year we’ve participated in Red Ribbon. Our staff and students had no idea what Red Ribbon was about,” she said. “Coming into the role as the school counselor this year, one of my goals was to educate my students on the importance of making healthy life choices. This will be the first of many participations in this event!”

The winning photos were among hundreds of entries uploaded to RedRibbon.org. Nine (9) winners received the most votes in their designated regions, and ten (10) winners were chosen from a list of categories that included: Most Creative, Best Use of Theme, Most Educational, Most Ambitious, Best Use of Family and Community, and Most Creative School.

"The Red Ribbon Campaign is a massive community engagement process,” said Peggy Sapp, President and CEO of Informed Families and Volunteer President of National Family Partnership. “It is how to decrease demand for drugs and increase awareness of health and safety.”

The DEA Field Officers from the five (5) divisions will be attending each school to present a check ceremony for the winning photos.

DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was murdered in 1985, is the inspiration behind the Red Ribbon Campaign. The campaign and contest are reminders about the importance of staying drug-free, and the contest aims to engage communities in a fun and interactive way.

Visit https://www.redribbon.org/contest/2022winners to view the nineteen (19) winning photos.

2022 Contest Winners

Regional Home Winners:

• Region 1 – Angela Mumford–Cambridge Springs, PA - Cambridge Springs Jr./Sr. High School
• Region 2 – Carolyn Greene– Albany, GA – International Studies Elementary Charter School
• Region 4 – Alicia Alvarado – Armed Forces Europe – Grafenwoehr Elementary School - Dodea
• Region 5 – Yung-Ching Lin – Saratoga, CA -- Saratoga High School

Regional School Winners:

• Region 1 – Kelly Sartre – Braintree, MA – Braintree High School
• Region 2 – Jennifer Moser and Jacqueline Ortiz– Miramar, FL– Glades Middle School
• Region 3 – Becky Hoffman – Lee’s Summit – Pleasant Lea Middle School
• Region 4 – Emily Loesch – Sugar Land, TX – Settlers Place Elementary
• Region 5 – Tiffany Farnsworth – Hyrum, Utah – Canyon Elementary School

Home Judges Awards:

• Most Creative – Mustafa Aydin – Greensboro, NC – Triad Math and Science Academy - Elementary
• Most Ambitious – Maria Izzo – Bernardsville, NJ – Bernads High School
• Best Use of Family and Community – Dan Trinh – Monterary Park, CA – Monterey Highlands Elementary School
• Best Use of Theme – Dinah Joy Bustamante – Folsom, California – Sandra J Gallardo Elementary School
• Most Educational – Hai Le – Fountain Valley, CA – Monroe Elementary Language Academy


School Judges Awards:

• Most Creative –Melissa Terlaje – Auburn, Washington – Chinook Elementary School
• Most Ambitious – Allison Kennedy – Newbury Park, CA -- Banyan Elementary School
• Best Use of Family and Community –Darby Scalf – Walton, IN – Lewis Cass Elementary
• Best Use of Theme – Tamara Thornton –Hughson, CA – Fox Road Elementary School
• Most Educational – Perihan Akcan – Greensboro, NC -- Triad Math and Science Academy - Secondary School

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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.

Topics: red ribbon photo contest prevention dea photo contest red ribbon campaign celebrate life live drug free
2 min read

Red Ribbon Café Podcast Premiere

By NFP on Nov 22, 2022 1:45:05 PM

Red Ribbon Café Podcast Premieres on November 23rd, 2022

November 22, 2022 – Miami, FL – On November 23rd, 2022, National Family Partnership Partner Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership will premiere it’s first episode of the Red Ribbon Café Podcast. This Podcast allows parents and families to hear from official Informed Families staff members and President and CEO, Peggy Sapp on current topics surrounding child development and education.Red Ribbon Cafe Podcast

Each episode of the Podcast will feature individuals speaking about their real-world experiences working with the school system and communities to promote health childhood development and fulfillment. Peggy Sapp, President, and CEO of Informed Families and Volunteer President of National Family Partnership encourages that “this Podcast will allow parents to understand that they play a significant role in why their child doesn’t use drugs. IF will help parents figure out how to achieve success by offering you useful topics and encouraging you to join a Parent Peer Group to continue supporting your child’s full potential.”

 

As Thanksgiving and Christmas Break is around the corner, we hope that families, educators, and children will take fifteen minutes out of their fun-filled day to educate themselves on prevention-based topics, so we can continue helping children make healthy decisions.

Connect with us by using #KnowUsBeforeYouNeedUs to share what topics you want to hear next!

The Red Ribbon Café Podcast will be featured on Miami's Community Newspapers website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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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.

Topics: education prevention red ribbon campaign Red Ribbon Café Podcast
1 min read

Teen Vaping and Marijuana Use Rising, While Other Substance Use Declines: Study

By NFP on Oct 5, 2022 9:45:00 AM

vaping

The rate of U.S. teen vaping and marijuana use is on the rise, while their use of other substances including alcohol and cigarettes is declining, according to a new study.

Researchers tracking substance use trends among U.S. teens over the past 30 years found substance use has generally declined, except for overall marijuana use and vaping nicotine and marijuana, HealthDay reports.

The percentage of U.S. teens who said they had vaped nicotine in the past month increased from 7% to 17% between 2017 and 2019, the study found. Marijuana vaping rose from just over 3% to almost 10% during that time.

Rates of substance use were highest among teens who had a job or who spent a lot of time with friends, without adults around, the study found. Substance use was least likely to occur among teens who did not spend a lot of time around friends or who took part in sports or other structured activities.

“Years of research show that when young people are engaged in activities they enjoy and feel are meaningful, they have less reason to turn to substance use to soothe their boredom or seek sensation,” said Linda Richter, vice president of prevention research and analysis for Partnership to End Addiction, who was not involved in the study.

Article Source Link

Topics: drug trends prevention vaping red ribbon campaign
1 min read

Two Potent Illicit Substances are Increasing the Risk of Overdoses

By NFP on Sep 26, 2022 9:54:54 AM

_synthetic opioid

Two potent substances are increasingly being linked to overdoses, NBC News reports. One is a group of synthetic opioids called nitazenes, and the other is an animal tranquilizer called xylazine.

Nitazenes can be up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, the article notes. Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that showed a fourfold increase in deadly overdoses linked to nitazenes in Tennessee in the last two years. No nitazene-related deaths were documented in the state in 2019. The following year, 10 such deaths were reported, and 42 were reported in 2021.

“Naloxone has been effective in reversing nitazene-involved overdoses, but multiple doses might be needed,” the CDC report said. The researchers noted, “Given their potency, raising awareness about nitazenes and implementing strategies to reduce harm through increased testing, surveillance, and linkage to treatment for substance use disorders are of vital importance.”

Addiction experts told NBC News that traces of the non-opioid animal tranquilizer xylazine is also showing up in fentanyl samples. Xylazine is often referred to as “tranq” or “tranq dope,” and can cause people to slip into a state of unconsciousness for hours.

Article Source Link

Topics: drug trends prescription drug abuse prevention red ribbon campaign
3 min read

The 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest Kicks Off October 1, 2022

By NFP on Sep 23, 2022 10:00:00 AM

Glades Middle School - Region 2-3

 

Contest Submissions Accepted through November 1st


September 23, 2022 – Miami, FL –Beginning October 1st, students, families, and schools across America are invited to participate in the 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest aimed at raising visibility to live drug-free by being creative. The contest, co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will be held in conjunction with National Red Ribbon Week, which takes place each year from October 23rd through 31st. The contest will award more than $20,000 to K-12 schools in cities across America.

The photo contest involves participants decorating the fronts of their homes (front door, mailbox, or fence), and/or school campuses with double-looped red ribbons while incorporating this year's Red Ribbon theme, Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free. ™ Participants enter the contest by taking a photo of their decorations (preferably with people in it!) and uploading it to the redribbon.org/contest website. You must be 18 years old to enter, so parents (or for school entries, school staff or PTA members) must submit the photos.

Red Ribbon Week Theme 2022_NFP-1
Twenty winners will be selected from two entry categories: Home Entry or School Entry. The top five schools and top five home submissions that receive the most votes in five designated DEA regions across the country will win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use. Additionally, ten winners will be selected from the following categories: Most Creative Home, Best Use of Family, Best Use of Theme, Best Virtual Photo, Most Educational, Most Creative School or Virtual School, Best Use of School or Virtual School, Best Use of Theme, Most Ambitious and Most Educational. The winners of these categories will also win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use.

The DEA has been a longtime co-sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest, which is now in its twelfth year. Keeping communities Drug-Free is a mission both the DEA and NFP have been laser focused on shared for many years. NFP hopes this fun and interactive photo contest will bring awareness about living Drug-Free to communities across the country.

“Each year, the National Family Partnership encourages the joy of living a Drug-Free life,” said Peggy Sapp, Volunteer President of National Family Partnership and President and CEO of Informed Families. “The Community’s involvement is important to helping a person’s choose to live drug free."

The contest begins October 1st at 9 a.m. E.S.T. and ends November 1st at 9 p.m. E.S.T. The voting period begins November 2nd and ends November 16th. The 2022 Red Ribbon Photo Contest Winners will be announced December 2nd. Please visit www.redribbon.org/contest for more information.

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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

Topics: red ribbon week red ribbon photo contest prevention dea red ribbon activities celebrate life live drug free

Landmarks Light up in RED for Red Ribbon Week - October 23rd-31st

By NFP on Sep 8, 2022 12:00:00 PM

Freedom Tower Miami FL

Last year, the Freedom Tower, FTX Arena, Miami Tower, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, and other landmarks in Florida illuminated their building red in support of a drug-free lifestyle. The Red Ribbon Campaign® is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week®, October 23 – October 31 each year. It is a simple and brilliant way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.

Join us in increasing awareness and support for drug-free prevention in America and our youth.

Download Flyer

 

Topics: red ribbon week prevention drug free red ribbon campaign celebrate life live drug free
1 min read

Red Ribbon Week is Just Around the Corner!

By Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on Sep 7, 2022 9:18:49 AM

RRW Corner blog (600 × 350 px)

Red Ribbon Week is just around the corner, October 23rd-31st!

NFP is dedicated to supporting your efforts to bring visibility to our Drug Free Message through the Red Ribbon Campaign. Lots of companies sell RED RIBBON WEEK products but how many of those companies give back to the Red Ribbon Campaign and to all our communities? Only ONE NIMCO, Inc.

Through NFP’s annual Red Ribbon Theme Contest held every fall with winners announced at CADCA, we are linking with thousands of schools and children allowing them and you to tell us the RR Theme. Through NFP’s DEA Photo Contest we give away $25,000 to schools across America. It’s not about the ribbon it is about the meaning of the ribbon, we ask you to help network and spread the word in your school, home, business, military base, faith-based fellowship, club, etc. We’re only as strong as our weakest link. "Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free." says it all. Join us.

NIMCO, Inc. a registered authorized vendor through GSA for all government agencies and granted programs.

Click the link to view NIMCO, Inc online 2022 Red Ribbon Catalog

View Catalog

If you are interested in actively making a difference to keep America healthy and drug-free. Contact Elizabeth Golshteyn at egolshteyn@informedfamilies.org to become an Affiliate with National Family Partnership. By becoming an Affiliate and paying an annual membership fee, you get a 10% NIMCO discount (one-use per customer) to use the 2022 Red Ribbon Theme products to support drug-free prevention.

Thank you for all your help and support over these 40 years. I am truly grateful.


Sincerely,

Peggy Sapp
Volunteer President, National Family Partnership
President and CEO, Informed Families

Topics: red ribbon red ribbon week red ribbon photo contest prevention drug prevention
1 min read

National Family Partnership Survey Winner

By NFP on Aug 17, 2022 8:47:42 AM

winner

National Family Partnership recently held a survey in which recipients were asked how we could better serve their families.  How would you like to hear from us? Did you prefer tips, a newsletter or messaging? These were just some of the questions we asked. We are here to support and effectively serve our communities and we need YOUR HELP to make our community better and safer!

Those who participated were also placed in a random drawing for a $50 Gift Card to Publix Super Market. Our lucky winner that was randomly chosen was Rosalie Roybal of Lynwood Unified School District in Lynwood, California. Congratulations to Rosalie!

Topics: red ribbon prevention contest nfp

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