To celebrate Red Ribbon Week, the Tobacco Use Prevention (TUPE) club organized five days of different activities to raise awareness surrounding drug and tobacco addiction.

Standing at the front gates, TUPE members welcomed students on campus with small freebies and cheerful smiles. Red ribbons decorated the campus, from the library to the freshman tree, with the crimson color symbolizing intolerance towards drug use. 

“Every year we put red ribbons up around campus. We were supposed to put red ribbons up on Sunday but it was extremely windy and rainy [so] we didn’t get up as many as I would like to,” said supervising teacher Dawn Silva. 

On Wednesday, TUPE members set up a booth in the quad. During lunch, many students stopped by and signed a pledge wall promising to be drug free or spun a wheel to answer questions to earn small prizes. 

“I helped out during Red Ribbon Week at the prize wheel and I would give out prizes like yo-yos and wristbands. I also handed out pens and told people drugs are bad,” said TUPE member Christina Taft (‘22).

Students who came to TUPE’s booth left with physical freebies and new knowledge.

“It’s just fun and different. My takeaway was ‘say no to drugs,’” said Patrick Bowling (‘24).

Tomorrow is the final day of Red Ribbon Week, wrapping up a successful week of raising awareness.

“I felt like we got the message out about the risks involved with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and vaping,” said Silva.