National Red Ribbon Week will be celebrated October 23-31, 2003. Red Ribbon Week has been celebrated since 1986 when a Drug Enforcement Agent was kidnapped and killed for coming close to breaking up a drug cartel in Mexico. To honor this heroic agent, and to demonstrate their commitment to drug and alcohol prevention, family members and friends began wearing red ribbons.
Since that time, the National Family Partnership has adopted this week to raise awareness about keeping children drug-free. Each year, more and more communities and schools across America use this week to educate and promote drug-free youth, often inviting guest speakers to give a presentation.
One piece of information that a typical presentation by a Narconon Prevention Specialist contains is the fact that drugs store in the fatty tissue of a person's body and remain there for years after use ceases, causing intense cravings for the drug and continued adverse affects. This fact was discovered by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard and unfortunately is not addressed in most rehabilitation or prevention programs.
In fact, the majority of the U.S. population doesn't know what happens internally when toxic substances such as drugs are ingested and how they continue to affect an individual's physical and mental health. Vital information such as that combined with two-way communication in a fun environment make Narconon presenters a hit in every school they visit.
The Director of Drug Education for Narconon Arrowhead is J.T. Daily, whose passion for his chosen profession comes from personal triumph over tragedy. He was a former drug addict who nearly lost his life to substance abuse and has been able to beat his addiction through the Narconon Program.
"I like to talk to kids because it gives me an opportunity to share knowledge about drugs that I didn't have growing up," explains the 25-year old former college basketball player from Maryland. "Sure people told me drugs were bad, but I never knew exactly what happened to a person's mind and body when they were taken."
Daily's primary purpose at this point in his life is to educate young and old alike about the true dangers of drug use.
"I keep thinking of my younger niece and nephew," says J.T., "and that I hope that I can be a positive influence on their lives too. I don't want anybody to have to go through the pain and agony that I had to deal with because of the drugs that I did. Nobody ever thinks that they are going to become addicted; kids don't think it will be them that get hurt."
This is part of a message that Daily and other Narconon Arrowhead presenters are scheduled to give to over six thousand kids this week. Surveys show that kids appreciate the honesty from someone who has "been there", as is the case with most Narconon presenters, and who can accurately depict what the life of a drug addict is really like. The fact is, drug addiction cannot only be overcome, but it can be effectively prevented as well.
Now that it is Red Ribbon Week, please take the time to talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs. There are a lot of people like J.T. who devote their lives to ending the nation's number one societal problem, but every bit of reinforcement helps.
If you would like to find out more information about the Narconon Program, call 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com or www.narconon-drug-education.com today.
