Drug-Free Tennessee is Sending out a Red Ribbon Invitational

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, 80% of crimes in the state have some drug-related nexus. Additionally, Tennessee’s uninsured coupled with a high rate of prescribed painkillers are contributing factors behind the state’s rise in heroin addiction and overdoses, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

To protect people from the disastrous effects of drugs, Drug-Free Tennessee is meeting with community leaders to educate and provide resources during Red Ribbon Week. Organizers are calling the meetings a “Red Ribbon Invitational” to help promote the Red Ribbon campaign.

Red Ribbon Week occurs during the last week of October each year and is a time to educate people and help prevent drug abuse. The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a Drug-Free America, according to redribbon.org.

Drug-Free Tennessee distributes copies of The Truth About Drugs, a booklet that helps people understand what drugs are and how they affect the user. Drug-Free Tennessee is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit organization. Its materials demonstrate the dangers of drugs through factual information and interviews with former addicts giving personal perspectives on each of the substances covered.