October is Substance Abuse Prevention Month
Beach Cities Health District and the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition are raising awareness about prevention of youth substance use during Substance Abuse Prevention Month in October and Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31.
As a recipient of the federal Drug-Free Communities grant program, administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth joins more than 700 community-based coalitions nationwide in addressing youth substance use.
Red Ribbon Week Activities:
This year Beach Cities Health District is utilizing social media to share information and resources on substance use prevention in the Beach Cities. Social media messages about specific substances and substance use prevention topics will be posted every day throughout the week.
Substance use prevention resources and materials from our Youth Advisory Council’s Photovoice presentations on vaping and alcohol use will also be distributed to the middle and high schools. The “Prescription Drugs and Opioids: What Beach Cities Students and Parents Need to Know” video co-produced by Beach Cities Health District and South Bay Families Connected in 2020 will also be reshared for students and families.
The Red Ribbon Campaign® is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year during Red Ribbon Week. National Family Partnership (NFP) is the sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week® celebration and the Red Ribbon Campaign®, started in 1988 after DEA agent Kiki Camarena lost his life in the line of duty three years earlier. 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. A non-profit organization based in Miami, Fla., NFP helps citizens across the country come together to keep children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free, through parent training, networking and sponsoring the National Red Ribbon Campaign®. For 2022, the national Red Ribbon theme is Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free ™ 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.
