In 2007, 22 percent of all students in grades 9 through 12 said that a person had approached them to sell or buy an illegal drug on school grounds,according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Red Ribbon Week, which was designed to combat the drug issue in schools across the country, is taking place Oct. 23-31. Red Ribbon started in 1985 after the murder of Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Camarena was working undercover in Mexico, where drug traffickers tortured and killed him.

The Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club of Champaign is organizing Red Ribbon Week activities. There will be a Red Ribbon contest for all ages. For the six through eight age group, there will be a drawing contest with the goal of portraying the drug abuse and prevention theme. The nine through 12 age group will write short poems about living a drug free lifestyle or a letter to someone they care about encouraging the person to stop using drugs and tobacco. The 13 and older age group will analyze a magazine advertisement’s message about drugs and then write an essay on that topic. Their other option is to write a poem or rap about how positive life is without drugs.

Participants can make pledges to live drug-free lives during the week.

Lynch said the organization has opened up the week for participation from the leaders in the community. Representatives from the Champaign Public Health District, the Urbana Fire Department, the Urbana Police Department and the University softball team are all speaking throughout the week.

The softball team will go to the Boys and Girls Club on Oct. 27 around 2:30. The players will talk about their life in present terms and discuss how drugs would negatively impact their lives.

While the Boys and Girls Club will have many activities for Red Ribbon Week, many schools in Champaign and Urbana will not observe it.

Lynch said any student from the Champaign-Urbana community is welcome to participate at the Boys and Girls Club.

There is not a lot of University RSO participation in the event.

“I feel like we are old enough to make our own decisions. For the people who are going down that road and feel like they need someone to talk to or they need some type of guidance, we have a lot of resources here for that. The groups on campus want the students to reach out to them,” said Jasmine Barnes, student in the College of Aces. “It’s nothing wrong with promoting Red Ribbon Week because it is something positive.”