Hocus pocus, drugs aren’t my focus.

Every school in the nation sets one week in October aside annually for Red Ribbon Week, an anti-alcohol and drug campaign.

Students planned and decorated the school for Red Ribbon Week. They hoped to make a positive difference and convince students to remain drug and alcohol free. Despite high drug rates in teens nationally, many students agreed with the message.

Maggie Green, Addison Pruitt and Morgan Zirnheld organized it this year. They made posters and had students sign a few, and are asked everyone to wear red Friday, Oct. 26. “We had students sign a giant poster that said ‘All hands in for being drug-free!’ and around the border were cut-out hands. Once they signed, they got a bracelet that said ‘life is your journey – travel drug-free.’ We also encourage the whole school to dress in red on Friday, Oct. 26,” said Zirnheld.

The three hope to convince students that it’s better to be drug-free and healthy. According to a study by Ashwood Recovery, an addiction treatment center, about 50 percent of teens have used drugs. “I wanted to help plan Red Ribbon Week this year because I know in teenagers the drug usage is growing rapidly. I’ve known people who have gotten sucked into addiction; luckily I was able to help the couple I knew to stop. For that reason, it was great to be a part of this,” said Zirnheld.

Many students seem to agree with the message that Red Ribbon Week is trying to share. Some students remember doing classroom activities for it, such as making posters. However, something everyone should remember is that Red Ribbon Week isn’t just about fun; it’s about staying drug and alcohol free.