Anyone Can Be a Hero: Red Ribbon Week 2026
“Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.”™ is the theme for Red Ribbon Week 2026.
Created by a student, this year’s theme encourages young people to view drug-free living as an act of heroism. It highlights positive peer influence and personal responsibility while reinforcing the idea that heroes can be classmates, friends and community members.
Red Ribbon Week took place Oct. 23-31. The annual observance promotes drug-use prevention and honors the legacy of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
Camarena was kidnapped, beaten and killed in February 1985. In his honor, friends and neighbors began wearing red badges made of satin. Parents later formed coalitions using Camarena as their model and embracing his belief that one person can make a difference. Today, the red ribbon serves as a symbol for communities working to educate young people and encourage drug-prevention efforts.
Over the past 40 years, the landscape of drug use in the United States has changed significantly. During the 1980s and 1990s, crack cocaine and heroin use increased. In the 2000s, opioid addiction became a growing concern as prescription painkillers became more widely available.
The demographics of heroin use also changed. While heroin use in earlier decades was concentrated more heavily among young people in urban and minority communities, it later spread to older and more suburban and rural populations. For some people who became dependent on prescription opioids, heroin offered a less expensive and more accessible alternative.
In the 2020s, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl became increasingly prevalent in the nation’s illicit drug supply. Fentanyl has contributed significantly to overdose deaths and is extremely toxic, even in small amounts. It is also frequently mixed into other drugs without the user’s knowledge. Although fewer teens are using substances, those who do face greater risks because of fentanyl and other highly potent drugs in the illicit supply.
Marijuana remains the most commonly used
illicit drug in the United States. Current data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that 21.2% of Americans age 12 and older reported using marijuana in 2025. As medical and recreational cannabis laws have expanded, perceptions of marijuana have shifted, with many people viewing it as less risky. National data also show that the rate of cannabis-associated emergency department visits more than doubled between 2006 and 2014 and continued to rise through 2018.
Alcohol remains the most commonly used substance in the United States. Because it is legal and widely available, alcohol is used by more Americans than any other substance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of American adults drink alcohol, and excessive alcohol use contributes to approximately 178,000 deaths each year.
The news is encouraging for young people. The 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found declines among 12- to 17-year-olds in past-month tobacco, alcohol and binge drinking, as well as past-year illicit drug and marijuana use. The Monitoring the Future survey also found that, for the fifth consecutive year, most teens remained abstinent from alcohol, tobacco and nicotine at historically high rates.
Schools, businesses and community organizations can support Red Ribbon Week by displaying red ribbons, sharing prevention information, posting educational materials, sponsoring drug-prevention seminars and incorporating drug-prevention facts into school announcements and websites.
By participating in Red Ribbon Week, individuals and communities can help spread the message that everyone has the power to make a difference — and that anyone can be a hero by choosing to live drug-free.
For more information, contact the Human Service Agency’s NE Prevention Resource Center at 605-884-3524 or visit
www.humanserviceagency.org.