Community kicks off Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 25—With the Permian High School drumline and Panther Paws providing extra oomph, Red Ribbon Week kicked off Monday in the Ector County ISD parking lot.

This year's theme is Celebrate Life: Live Drug Free. Red Ribbon week runs through Oct. 31.

Superintendent Scott Muri, Mayor Javier Joven, Assistant ECISD Police Chief Jeff Daniels and representatives from the Permian Basin Permian Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse spoke. The Odessa Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors cut a red ribbon marking the week.

Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 as a way to honor the memory of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena who was kidnapped, tortured and killed by drug traffickers. A bust of Camarena was placed near the podium where people spoke.

"Drug abuse is common in our community, common in our state and our nation. Not only does it create the death of an individual life, but it also creates the death of family, the death of friendships and relationships. Today, we honor a healthy life; a clean life; a pure life. That is our opportunity today," Muri said.

Joven said the community struggles with illicit drug use.

"It's something that doesn't just permeate in our youth, but something that also permeates within our society," Joven said.

He added that you can try to address the drug issue with Just Say No and other initiatives. But when he worked for the Bureau of Prisons, 99.9 percent of the cases he handled were drug use or distribution of drugs.

"I've been in this battlefield for a long, long, long time and the thing that I realized (is) how we're going to be able to get through this is by being involved at a personal level and prepared ...," Joven said.

He then read Red Ribbon Proclamation from the City of Odessa.

Daniels read a brief biography of Camarena.

Daniels said Camarena wanted to make a difference from an early age. After earning a college degree in criminal justice, he served as a U.S. Marine and a police officer. He then joined the DEA. In 1985, while working undercover in Mexico, Camarena was kidnapped and killed by drug traffickers.

The 37-year-old special agent was survived by his wife and three children.

"Responding to the murder and the horrific effects of drugs on our society, citizens of Camarena's home town of Calexico, Calif., began wearing red ribbons. The trend took hold throughout the country, and in 1988, Congress officially proclaimed the last week of October as Red Ribbon Week. Now every October, American children, parents and educators unite to take a stand for a drug-free land," Daniels said.

Diana White, Impact Youth Program Director with Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, said they are passionate about educating young people, parents and the community.

White said they will be doing presentations in elementary and middle schools and some high schools this week.

"We're also very excited to provide any type of resources that parents or educators may need," White said.

White said they would cover refusal strategies when it comes to peer pressure in regard to alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

They will also offer alternative activities such as pledging to live a healthy, drug-free life.

"We'll have a banner set up where we'll sign it. We may also do some activities where we are showing the effects of somebody that uses cigarettes or tobacco, so we'll do different types of activities that are meant show how the lungs react when somebody uses tobacco ...," White said.

White said the community has been hit by the Fentanyl crisis and a lot of young people have been lost, even on campuses.

"... We're very much aware of that. We're trying to get out there and promote the word, especially during Halloween, that they are confiscating drugs at the border that look like candy. We just want parents to be aware; not only right now because of Halloween and to check that Halloween candy (but) just to be aware if they see something in their child's room or you're a teacher you see something that may or may not be candy," White said.

She said a lot of young people are obtaining the drug from social media sites.

"... They can get on something like Snapchat or Instagram and just search up their local drug dealer and that's how they're getting it," White said.

"A lot of them are also being mixed with other drugs. A lot of these young people, they don't know what's in there to begin with," White added.

Mellessa Brenem, director of the Prevention Resource Center, said the young people are getting Fentanyl, but they're not asking for it.

" ... Kids think they're getting Xanax, or they think they're getting something else and it's actually laced with Fentanyl and like (White) said, just a sprinkle of it can kill ...," Brenem said.

She added that there is a local parent group advocating for awareness because they've lost their children to Fentanyl.

"We're asking parents to be vigilant about it," Brenem added.

The DEA has a campaign called One Pill Can Kill with lots of information.

Brenem said young people will pay $50 to $60 a pill.

Brenem noted that the youngsters think they're getting Xanax, Adderall or some other type of prescription drug and they're getting counterfeit medication.

"They call it like Russian roulette with a pill because you just don't know," Brenem said.

She added that drug addicts are getting it too as part of their cocaine or heroin.

"If anything, that's what we'd like the message to be. Check everything and just be careful," Brenem said.