Red Ribbon Schools | The Largest Universal Prevention Campaign in the Nation

Vote on your favorite Red Ribbon Photo Contest Entry!

Sergio Perez — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:30:55 +0000

Tell all your friends and family to vote for your Red Ribbon Photo Contest entry here. Voting begins at midnight on 11/1/11.

For more information about contest rules and entry requirements, please visit our contest entry and voting page. Entries must be received by 11:59PM on 10/31/11. If you have additional questions, please email agoldstein@nfp.org .

Red Ribbon Celebrations Around Florida

Sergio Perez — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:32:59 +0000

Visit our gallery to view photos of Red Ribbon celebrations all around Florida.

Want to add your photos to the gallery? Post them to our Facebook pages (Informed Families, or Red Ribbon Campaign), or email them directly to RRphoto@informedfamilies.org.

Number of first time Marijuana users increasing; 2010 HHS’ SAMHSA NSDUH survey shows

Sergio Perez — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:21:48 +0000

The estimated number of people using marijuana for the first time appears to be increasing, according to data from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). More than 2.4 million persons ages 12 or older used marijuana for the first time in 2010, compared to the most recent low of 2.1 million in 2006. The abuse of prescription drugs continues to rival that of marijuana.

For more statistics about drug abuse, visit the 2010 SAMHSA NSDUH Survey here.

Support Red Ribbon Week

Sergio Perez — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:18:02 +0000

Red Ribbon Week takes place October 23-31. Red Ribbon Week is the largest drug prevention program in the Nation. The theme for this years Red Ribbon Week Celebration is “It’s Up to Me to Be Drug Free!”

Help support Red Ribbon Week and show your commitment to a drug-free environment by:

Signing the Red Ribbon Pledge.
Planning a Red Ribbon celebration.
Ordering and displaying Red Ribbon materials.
Wearing and distributing Red Ribbons.
Downloading the Red Ribbon Week Planning Guide.

Enter the Red Ribbon Photo Contest
Would you like a chance to WIN an iPad 2 and the opportunity to WIN $1,000 for your school? Click here to read more.

U. S. ED’s OSDFS’ Safe and Supportive TA Center Announces a Webinar on Substance Abuse Prevention

Sergio Perez — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:47:58 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools’ Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center announces the next event in its School Climate Webinar series on substance abuse prevention.

This Webinar will be offered twice to accommodate schedules:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., EST.
Thursday, October 13, 2011, 11:00 a.m. − 12:30 p.m., EST.

Please register for one of the sessions at: http://safesupportiveschools.ed.gov/index.php?id=9&eid=87.

Those who successfully register will receive an e-mail confirmation, and information on how to connect to each Webinar will be sent to those who register before the event.

During this Webinar, Dr. William Hansen, an internationally recognized expert in prevention, will focus on recent research on effective prevention practice and its implications for practitioners. Specifically he will:

Explore current trends in substance abuse among American youth
Review the latest evidence on effective prevention strategies
Identify strategies for strengthening current practice in substance abuse prevention

Audience: This Webinar is appropriate for all levels of school staff, administration, and policymakers.

For more information, email SSSTA@air.org.

Via ED’s Safe and Supportive Schools News Mailing List

We are No. 1!

Sergio Perez — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:17:47 +0000

Florida is No. 1 in Marijuana grow houses.

According to the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, more marijuana grow houses were seized in Florida than in any other state last year.

Nationwide demand for high-potency marijuana has turned Florida into a top producer of hydroponic weed, and hundreds of South Floridians are turning their homes into lucrative grow houses, according to local law enforcement.

The illegal drug nurseries are hidden everywhere from million-dollar homes to run-down apartments, putting unsuspecting neighbors in serious danger, police said. Some grow houses are discovered only after explosions or fires.

“The bad guys are getting smarter, and we’re not finding them all,” said Capt. Joe Mendez, who oversees HIDTA’s marijuana task force in South Florida.

The huge profits made from hydroponic marijuana create a never-ending battle for police, said Mendez, of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Each pound has a street value of about $4,000 in South Florida, and each plant produces about three pounds a year, according to the task force.

Binge Drinking: Effects last a lifetime.

Sergio Perez — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:17:40 +0000

A University of North Carolina study report that adolescents who drink heavily may be more likely to have deficits in adapting to life situations as adults. Teen drinking affects long-term structural changes in the brain’s frontal cortex, the part of the brain that allows us to predict consequences, control our impulse and refine reasoning.

Experts agree: Alcohol is the most dangerous drug of all.

“There’s not even a comparison. This is by far the number one health problem that young people face in our society”

Find out more by watching the news story online.

Florida Governor Scott creates ‘strike force’ to go after pills mills, drug pushers

Sergio Perez — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:55:42 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday unveiled a new plan to attack crooked pain clinics, committing $800,000 to beef up criminal investigations into shady operators and rogue doctors as well as drug manufacturers, wholesalers and street dealers. This comes shortly after reports that Florida has become the largest U.S. producer of drugs like Oxycodone.

The plan calls for launching a “Drug Strike Force” made up of dedicated squads in each of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s seven regions across the state. The teams will incorporate state and local criminal investigators and also regulators from the health department and other state agencies.

85% of Oxycodone in US comes from Florida

Sergio Perez — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:04:50 +0000

Dave Aronberg (special prosecutor with the attorney general’s office) revealed shocking statistics to a gathering at the health professions division of Nova Southeastern University: “Florida peddles 10 times more oxycodone pills than all the other states together.”

These statistics come to light as newly appointed Gov. Rick Scott promises to repeal the state law authorizing a prescription drug monitoring database.

Aronberg also noted that “[seven] Floridians die each day from overdosing on oxycodone.”

Via The Miami Herald. Read More.

Visit our Resources page to learn more about drug use prevention.

Parents, ask your school to get Red Ribbon Certified

Simone Brown Knight — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:39:06 +0000

Kids in a Red Ribbon Certified school have better academic performance and are less likely to use drugs or alcohol. More Info

Why Red Ribbon Certification is important:

It emphasizes the importance of families involved in the education and healthy development of their children
It emphasizes the importance of reducing social problems to increase student resilience and academic achievement
It sustains pride and growing commitment through the ownership of good results
It assists in teacher retention because teachers want to work in a school and in a community dedicated to improving the lives of everyone
It reaches out to parents to learn more about the importance of prevention