The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Red Ribbon Celebration

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Santa Barbara, CA

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The Santa Barbara Affiliate received a 1995 NCADD Prevention & Education Meritorious Award for its Red Ribbon celebration, which annually reaches more than 25,000 public and private school students with a drug-free lifestyle message that is supported by business, the clergy, law enforcement agencies and the media.

Santa Barbara's Red Ribbon celebration, begun in 1986, has expanded considerably under the leadership of the NCADD Affiliate, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA). In addition to festooning main streets with red flags and banners, and distributing ribbons to the entire student population, October activities now include school assemblies, a poster contest (culminating in the production of the "Kids Fight Drugs" calendar), a teacher's packet with instructional materials, a clergy workbook, and proclamations from local government offices.

The success of these activities depends on the cooperation of a large cross section of the community, whose participation is coordinated by CADA. For example, the Rotary Club holds a luncheon to raise money for the ribbon distribution; printing and distribution costs related to the poster contest are provided by the county education office; the chief of police, the country sheriff and the district attorney present U.S. savings bonds to poster contest winners, and pay for the production of the 30,000 calendars using drug forfeiture funds; and local media cover the activities.

(12/95)

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)