I love Breast Cancer Awareness Month because this disease has affected so many women. Like other diseases, most people know someone who has struggled with breast cancer.
For the last 20 plus years I have been part of a group of six women from high school, who meet every spring for a weekend of fun. We go way back and have know each other since grade school. We usually meet in either northern or southern California, and one of these years, we’ll cross the state lines.
Two out of my six high school friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, within a relatively short time of each other. We are extremely grateful that they are both doing well and have passed their five-year mark.
Nineteen years ago, a close friend who was a fellow teacher at my school was also with breast cancer. She was only 28 at the time. My son was in her class that year. Again, she is doing well and has gone to be an amazing teacher at my former elementary school.
Several of my friend’s moms have had breast cancer, and I feel their concern as they wonder if this disease will affect them.
We are all well aware of the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Walk. Two of my three friends who are survivors have walked the breast cancer walk.
Walking the Breast Cancer Walk is on my Bucket list. I hope to do it soon.
We couldn’t do enough to spread the word about breast cancer, to urge more women to go in for their annual mammogram, to do a self check each month, and to generally be aware of the disease.
I recently flew to Atlanta on Delta. The airline was acknowledging Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The men wore pink ties. They even have a pink plane.
Last night I watched a football game on TV with my husband and sons. I noticed that the players had pink towels hanging out of their pants.
Kids are opening pizza boxes and seeing ads about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All of this is good!
We have another cause we need to support as well!
The Red Ribbon Week theme this year is YOLO, Be Drug Free #YOUONLYLIVEONCE
If you are not sure what Red Ribbon Week is, it is celebrated in schools nationwide to motivate kids to be drug-free.
“Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and LARGEST drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enriqué “Kiki” Camarena.” ~ Red Ribbon Coalition.com
Enrique “Kiki” Camarena grew up in a dirt-floored house with hopes and dreams of making a difference.
Camarena worked his way through college, served in the Marines and became a police officer. When he decided to join the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out it. “I can’t not do this,” he told her. “I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference.
Special Agent Kiki Camarena was an 11-year veteran of the DEA assigned to the Guadalajara, Mexico, office where he was on the trail of the country’s biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. In 1985, he was extremely close to unlocking a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline.
On February 7, 1985, he was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His tragic death opened the eyes of many Americans to the dangers of drugs and the international scope of the drug trade.
Shortly after Kiki’s death, Congressman Duncan Hunter and Kiki’s high school friend Henry Lozano launched “Camarena Clubs” in Kiki’s hometown of Calexico, California. Hundreds of club members pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifice made by Kiki Camarena.
Red Ribbon Week is celebrated in schools nationwide every year. When I was teaching fourth grade the parents decorated the school with red ribbons. Some years we had an assembly with the police department, or maybe a counselor spoke to the students about the dangers of doing drugs.
We had discussions about alcohol and drug use in the classroom. You had to be there to get the full picture, but I’m sure some of the parents would be mortified if they knew what their child was revealing about them in class.
At the time, I had not experienced my children’s drug use, so I was relatively naïve as well.
So many have worked hard to make this a national cause. I hope the cause expands even further and more lives are saved.
It would be so great if Red Ribbon Week had the same kind of impact.
There’s room for all great causes.
Kids are dying each day from alcohol overdose, illegal drug overdose, as well as legal drug overdose, car accidents, and other sidelines of drug use.
Breast cancer and addiction are two different diseases. They affect people in difference ways. There is not the kind of stigma attached to breast cancer as there is to addiction.
However we lose about 130 people from an overdose everyday. If we want to have a future generation that is healthy, strong, and ready to move us forward, we need to pay attention.
Let’s not leave behind those that are affected by the disease of addiction. Let’s prevent kid’s lives from becoming sidelined because of their substance use.
We need to give people affected by the disease of addiction a hand up. Even better, we need to PREVENT this disease by spreading awareness and educating our kids so they will stay healthy.
Pizza boxes, (kids love pizza) could have a red ribbon for the week, for the month, for the year. It wouldn’t need to stop there.
Let’s not stop spreading awareness about the dangers of drug use. Let’s talk about it every week during the year.
What do think about Red Ribbon Week?
How does your community support Red Ribbon Week?
This post has been updated from the original post date of October 24, 2011.
Please leave a comment and share this article on social media. Also, send the link to families with adolescents. Thank you!
Where can I get one of the red ribbon lapel pins wth the word drugs in the middle of the pin crossed out?
Hi Donna,
Good question. If you go to http://www.preventionpartners.com/, they have a variety of ribbons. I didn’t see one with the word drugs crossed out, that was on the graphic that I found. If I find one, I’ll let you know. Thanks for your comment and question. That would be a great ribbon!
P.S. If anyone knows where a ribbon like that can be found, please leave a comment.
I loved Red Ribbon week as a kid. That song, “Drugs are not cool…” was one of my favorites. It always makes me smile when I hear it.
I’ll be joining you in wearing red this week.
Thanks for the reminder.
Bryce
Hi Bryce,
Appreciate the reminder about that song. Thanks for supporting Red Ribbon Week and your awesome comment!
Hi Cathy,
They are both great causes and deserve support. Thank you for posting.
be good to yourself
David
Hi David,
Breast Cancer and Drug Awareness are both wonderful causes. Hopefully the awareness of drug addiction will grow as well all pull together to fight this disease. We will continue to support Breast Cancer.
Two wonderful stories of people supporting really important causes. My children have always participated in Red Ribbon Week. Our schools have done a great job of incorporating into their curriculum.
Thanks Cathy!
Hi Betsy,
These are both great causes that I know are close to people’s hearts. That is wonderful that your school are supporting drug awareness as part of their curriculum. Thanks for your comment.
I love the way you celebrated both causes. Hopefully one day we will be as open and supportive and sharing/searching for prevention, intervention & cure options for those with the disease of addiction as we are of those with the disease of breast cancer. I’m sharing a link to a related post of mine regarding Pamela Pecs Cytron’s article on the wildly different ways her breast cancer diagnosis was viewed by family members and friends as compared to her addiction diagnosis: http://tiny.cc/alu3f
Thanks, Cathy, for all of your wonderful work!
Hi Lisa,
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing the article. I remember reading Libby Cataldi’s book, “Stay Close,” and during her son’s addiction, she was diagnosed with breast cancer – talk about stress. I’ve heard her comment a number of times on the difference in the reactions to the diseases. I understand it to a certain point, but the bottom line is that we are not going to get a grip on this disease until we take it on like we’ve taken on breast cancer and HIV. The pubic support has made the difference with both of these diseases, which is great. Now it’s time to get addiction in the limelight.
such a nobel cause
may God help all of the people in with diseases such as cancer
thank you Cathy for writing about that
Hi farouk,
These two diseases affect people in different ways, but the stigma does hold back the disease of addiction. Hopefully that will change soon. Thanks for the support and your comment.
Nice post Cathy. Hey, I wanted an excuse to go shopping. Need to buy some red clothes. I think you have a great idea here. Kids and drugs needs to be stopped. I do believe as adults, we need to stop putting so much pressure on kids to be good in school, sports and keeping them busy 24/7. If your child is 2 years old now they need to know how to count to 10. What is wrong with letting kid use their minds in play for a while?
Parents need to be involved with their kids, not their kids be involved in everything. I can wear red and it would be great if the NFL players would do this also.
Blessing to you,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
It is a good excuse to get out the red clothes, I agree! Some kids are being pressured to do so much and are on very busy schedules that don’t give them much time to be creative and just have fun. There is such a push to move the curriculum back, that I believe some children are going to find it very stressful trying to keep up with it all.
I agree that parents need to spend quality time with their children. Just having a regular family dinner, studies have shown, reduces substance abuse among middle and high school age children.
It would be wonderful if more celebrities would come out in support of drug awareness and education. It would be a big push forward!. Thanks so much for your insightful comment.
Such a great cause. Thank you for getting the word out!
Thank you for stopping by!
I was appall by the fact that our local school handed out activity books with pictures of heroin and crack cocaine to my 5 and 6 year olds. I believe that red ribbon week is important. But, I don’t believe that the average 5 year old or 6 year old should be shown pictures of heroin, spoons, needles, piles of cocaine, and rolled bills. I pulled my children from school for the week, possibly even longer if need be. We live in rural Missouri. There should be an appropriate age to start such explicit incorporation at, not kindergarten.
That is interesting that the activity books were given to that age level of child. I’m curious as to what the thought process would be behind that. I feel that starting with making healthy choices at that age feels more appropriate. I would check with your school and possibly get involved in the process and who is making these decisions on how to present Red Ribbon Week.