SPANISH FORT, Ala.—This week—Red Ribbon Week—Spanish Fort schools have taught students to say no to drugs and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Monday through Friday were part of the five-day plan at Spanish Fort Elementary, where students will have:

<‘Socked it’ to drugs Monday, wearing mismatched socks.

“You have to be drug free,” second-grader Amanda White said for the reason she wore sunglasses at school Tuesday.

Spanish Fort Middle School has also coordinated days for the campaign; students elected a Red Ribbon committee in September that has met several times to help plan for this week, according to eighth-grade counselor Beth Childs.

The committee organized a school-wide canned food drive.

“SFMS students are competing by grade level to see who can gather the most canned food items,” Childs said. “The grade level that collects the most canned food items will get to select a teacher to put a pie in assistant principal Craig Ross’ face.

“Our school goal is to collect 1,000 canned food products.”

The committee also arranged for Spanish Fort Police Chief David Edgar to speak to their school tomorrow morning about drug safety.

Rockwell Elementary School will wear red on Friday and give out ribbons and dog-tag necklaces in support of Red Ribbon Week, according to guidance counselor Peggy Hollinger.

“We work on the ‘Too Good for Drugs’ program throughout the year as part of the curriculum,” Hollinger said.

Spanish Fort High School celebrated this week and created tombstones for celebrities who have passed before their time due to drugs and alcohol, they wore stickers Monday, signed pledges to remain drug- and alcohol-free and students have made testimonials over the school’s intercom each morning to say why they have chosen to stay drug- and alcohol-free, according to the school’s guidance department.

The United States Congress established Red Ribbon Week in 1988 to honor the work of Enrique  Camerena, an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration who was kidnapped, tortured and brutally murdered on duty by drug traffickers in 1985, according to www.redribboncoalition.com, the campaign’s official  Web site.

Camarena had worked in Guadalajara, Mexico for more than four years before he and his pilot were kidnapped and murdered, the site said.

Citizens in Camarena’s hometown of Calexico, Calif., began to wear red ribbons in response to his death. Citizens began to speak out against illegal drugs and the use of drugs in the U.S., the site said.

The California State PTA adopted the Red Ribbon Campaign, and in 1988 President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan served as honorary chairs. 

In more than 20 years since the brutal murder, schools across the nation take a week to raise awareness to students regarding the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violence and teach early intervention and prevention, according to the site.