From the date of October 23rd to October 31st of 2024, Red Ribbon Week is declared by RedRibbon.org and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration. The mission since the week’s beginning in 1985 is to push citizens, especially students and youth, to speak out and spread awareness about the destruction drugs bring to their communities. Here at Cypress Creek Highschool, the Criminal Justice Academy, and especially the Criminal Justice Competition Team, celebrated this week following the “Life is a Movie, Film Drug Free” theme by creating a red carpet display including photos and wristbands for students that took part in the pledge to never take drugs, and they completed the week with their hard work paying off with a large amount of positive student involvement and signatures.
“I think awareness always has an impact. I think if you put people in a situation where they have a moment or two to think about things, you reach somebody, and one is more than none. Impact and success is measured in awareness, safety, and sobriety. I think the impact will be felt years from now, maybe one of these kids will remember one of these things to help them stay sober, stay on the right path. I think success is when you raise awareness, and I think we did that.” Stated Criminal Justice Instructor Chester Hamilton.
As the possible future of not just law enforcement but public service as a whole, dedication to these causes remains important as drug abuse affects everyday society and communities. It’s not just about the need to put our foots down on drugs for the sake of those who need help to break addiction and get healthy but it’s also about changing the outlook of those who are younger and could lack the knowledge they need to make better informed decisions. Students and young adults remain and should always be the main demographic for these causes as they are the future of their countries and the leaders of their own lives. Senior Evan Rosario said,
“If they do the stuff that they did, (Drugs) then it would hinder their ability to work on things that they need to work on. They’ll get distracted, and they’ll lose
motivation, They’ll lose discipline, They’ll succumb to the effects. With a spiral like that they lack a future for themselves.”
