Get ready for Red Ribbon Week!

National Red Ribbon Week takes place annually, October 23-31, and is the largest and longest running drug-use prevention campaign in the United States. It is an opportunity to encourage communities to educate local youth and to participate in drug prevention activities. The first National Red Ribbon Celebration was held in 1988, and sponsored by the National Family Partnership, formerly the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth. Learn more about the history of Red Ribbon Week. 

This year's theme is "Be kind to your mind. Live drug free," and serves as 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! 

Want to get involved? Join the rally on Thursday, October 12, at 11 a.m., participate in the annual photo contest, or check out this year's virtual activities! You can also download the 2023 Red Ribbon Week toolkit to access planning guides, flyers, promotional materials, and more! 

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) has launched its Red Ribbon social media campaign to encourage the use of social media to help spread the word about Red Ribbon Week and its message of “Living Drug Free.” You can help amplify the #DEARedRibbon message by retweeting Red Ribbon posts from @DEAHQ and DEA’s Field Division X/Twitter accounts. The social media campaign consists of weekly Red Ribbon themes with sample posts, downloadable graphics, and recommended hashtags. Use these assets to promote #DEARedRibbon all month long on your respective organization’s social media sites. Also share the link to the DEA Red Ribbon Social Media Campaign with your partners, including community organizations, educators, and parents and other caregivers, so they too can promote and celebrate Red Ribbon.

• Week 1: Raise Awareness (October 2-8)
• Week 2: Pledge to Be Drug Free (October 9-15)
• Week 3: Get Involved (October 16-22)
• Week 4: Celebrate Red Ribbon (October 23-31)