Red Ribbon Week begins Published Oct. 18, 2011 By 1st Lt. Laura Balch Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The Drug Enforcement Administration's Red Ribbon Week will take place Oct. 23-29, 2011. Red Ribbon Week is a national drug awareness and prevention program and its theme this year is "It's up to me to be drug free." To educate military members and their families about this awareness week, personnel from the 99th Medical Group Mental Health Clinic will make a presentation to children at Lomie Grey Heard Elementary School; create a display table with educational materials, red ribbons, pencils, bracelets and stickers that encourage children to be alcohol and drug free at the Nellis Youth Center; and display educational materials in the lobby of the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital. Red Ribbon Week is celebrated in remembrance of Special Agent Enrique "KiKi" Camarena. Camarena was an 11-year veteran of the DEA who was kidnapped and killed on Feb. 7, 1985, while on assignment to gather information on marijuana- and cocaine-traffickers in Mexico. In 1988, the National Family Partnership coordinated the first national Red Ribbon Week with President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, who served as honorary chairpersons. Since then, the DEA and the Department of Defense have celebrated Red Ribbon Week during the last week of October to increase awareness of the serious problems illegal drug use causes and to showcase drug prevention efforts to members in military communities. For more information about Red Ribbon Week, contact the Nellis Red Ribbon Week point of contact, Maj. Jewel George, in the Mental Health Clinic at 653-3880.
