Red Ribbon Week Celebrated October 23-31

By: Jose G. Landa©

The City of Eagle Pass Police Department in collaboration with the Eagle Pass Independent School District is celebrating Red Ribbon Week during October 23-31, 2012, to educate the local youths the dangerous effects of drug abuse to them and the community.

Red Ribbon week was started in 1985 to commemorate the death of United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent, Enrique “Kike” Camarena, who was stationed in Eagle Pass, Texas, by Mexican drug traffickers while working in Mexico. Red Ribbon Week was started by Kike’s Camarena’s wife and family to honor his death and bring national awareness to the state devastating consequences of drug trafficking in the United States. Congress adopted the Red Ribbon campaign and declared it a national drug awareness campaign during the 1980s.

During October 23-31, the Eagle Pass Police Department together with state and federal law enforcement agencies will present a drug awareness presentation to every local public school. “The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to open the lines of communication between the youth of our community and adults about the ill-effects of drug abuse in our society,” Eagle Pass Police Chief Tony Castañeda said. “The earlier we educate our youth about the dangers and consequences of drug abuse, the potential of our youth falling prey to drug abuse is greatly diminished,” Castañeda said. Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu presented and read a city proclamation declaring October 23-31, 2012, or Red Ribbon Week to counties representatives of Quad and local law enforcement agencies on Monday, October 22nd, at City Hall.