| | |  Health & Beauty | August 2008 
Learn the Dangers of Substance Abuse
 GateHouse News Service
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Enrique Camarena worked his way through college, served in the Marines and became a police officer. When he chose to join the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration his mother begged him not to. His response to her: “I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference.”
In 1985, Camarena was sent to Mexico by the DEA to work undercover to investigate a major drug cartel believed to include officers in the Mexican army, police and government. On February 7, 1985, he left his office to meet up with his wife for lunch when five men approached him, shoved him in a van and drove off. The 37-year-old was found one month later. He had been tortured to death.
Shortly after his death, in honor of Camarena’s memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends wore red badges of satin. The memory spread as coalitions of parents, sick of the destruction of drugs and alcohol, began to form. Camarena’s dedication and belief that one person can make a difference served as a model to the fight against drugs. The red ribbon became the staple.
The National Family Partnership organized the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign for Oct. 23-31. The campaign helps citizens across the country come together to keep children, families and communities safe and drug-free through parent training, networking and sponsoring.
For more information, visit: www.nfp.org/redribbon.htm |
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