Red Ribbon Week Fails to Reach the Right Crowd

Every year, schools all across the country are invaded by the oldest drug resistance organization in the country: Red Ribbon Week. By giving out bracelets, hiring speakers for assemblies, and offering free information to educate students on drug awareness, the program claims to have made a difference in students lives for over 20 years. However, according to teendrugabuse.us, more than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.

Lori Branson, the school supervisor, shed some light on the subject by revealing she can go months without a drug bust, or she could get 5 in a week. She also mentioned that there is no noticeable change in that tendency around Red Ribbon Week.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think the program has an impact on kids lives unless drugs or alcohol has a negative influence on their lives otherwise,” Branson said.

Others like Branson share the opinion that is is not effective to the high school demographic and is not necessary. They believe that it would only be effective on people uneducated and inexperienced with drugs. People that are exposed to drugs already know what they are doing, and a pep talk about drugs will not necessarily change their opinions.

“I think it’s effective for little children, who don’t really know about the side effect of drugs, but for adults and adolescents, I don’t think it’s as effective,” said Senior Brandon Burrow.

It is very clear that since elementary school kids do not know much about drugs, these speakers and programs for red ribbon week provide them with a fear of drugs. This fear cannot be reached with high school students, after years of already being exposed.

Many people do not agree that the program should be done away with all together, but comment that they wish it could improve its influence and effectiveness in the future in order to achieve its potential.

“I hope [Red Ribbon Week] will be more influential this year than ever before,” said freshman Austin Casto.

Others, that have no affiliation with drugs, disagree completely and remain confident that it is a valuable and effective program for the students that it applies to.

“I stay away from drugs and people that are associated with them, but for people that are involved with drugs, I believe [Red Ribbon Week] is effective and necessary,” said Senior Anya Tugucheva. However, those with more exposure to drugs keep the opinion that it isn’t effective to the students to which it applies.

Most students seem to agree that the Week at least needs to be improved to be useful. Since the program only works if its audience actively includes themselves in it, students evidently need to decide for themselves whether they benefit from the it or not, and for most, especially those actually affected by drugs, that is a tough decision to make.