IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 747 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 

Mr. ELLZEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week. 

Whereas the National Family Partnership started the Red 

Ribbon Campaign in 1988— 

(1) to educate the people of the United States about 

the link between drug use and violence; 

(2) to preserve the memory of Enrique ‘‘Kiki’’ 

Camarena (referred to in the preamble as ‘‘Special Agent 

Camarena’’), a special agent of the Drug Enforcement 

Administration who— 

(A) served the Drug Enforcement Administration for 11 years; and 

(B) was murdered in the line of duty in 1985, 

while engaged in the battle against illicit drugs; 

(3) to commemorate the service of Special Agent 

Camarena to the Drug Enforcement Administration and 

the people of the United States; and 


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•HRES 747 IH 

(4) to further the cause for which Special Agent 

Camarena gave his life; 

Whereas the Red Ribbon Campaign is the most longstanding 

drug use prevention program in the United States, bringing drug awareness to millions of people in the United 

States each year; 

Whereas Red Ribbon Week is celebrated every year during 

the period of October 23 through October 31 by— 

(1) State Governors and attorneys general; 

(2) the National Family Partnership; 

(3) parent-teacher associations; 

(4) Boys and Girls Clubs of America; 

(5) the Young Marines; 

(6) the Drug Enforcement Administration; and 

(7) hundreds of other organizations throughout the 

United States; 

Whereas the objective of Red Ribbon Week is to promote the 

creation of drug-free communities through drug use prevention efforts, education programs, parental involvement, and community-wide support through specific actions such as lighting up buildings and landmarks, and 

activities that engage the public; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death 

in people in the United States between the ages of 18 to 

45, outnumbering deaths by firearms, motor vehicle 

crashes, suicide, or homicide; 

Whereas approximately 107,735 people died from drug 

overdoses in the United States in 2022; 

Whereas reducing the demand for illicit controlled substances 

would— 


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•HRES 747 IH 

(1) curtail lethal addictions and overdoses; and 

(2) reduce the violence associated with drug trafficking; 

Whereas, although public awareness of illicit drug use is increasing, emerging drug threats and growing epidemics 

continue to demand attention; 

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration hosts a National Take Back Day twice a year, on the last Saturdays 

of October and April, for the public to safely dispose of 

unused or expired prescription drugs that can lead to accidental poisoning, overdose, or misuse; 

Whereas the National Family Partnership hosts Lock Your 

Meds, a multi-media campaign and program to encourage 

individuals, businesses, and communities to dispose of 

drugs appropriately and to reduce the demand for drugs; 

Whereas Lock Your Meds is statewide in Idaho, North Carolina, and throughout the southeastern United States; 

Whereas synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and the analogues 

of fentanyl devastated communities and families at an 

unprecedented rate, claiming more than 70,000 lives in 

2022; 

Whereas the presence of fentanyl and the analogues of 

fentanyl pose hazards to police officers and law enforcement agents; 

Whereas 6 out of 10 pills tested at Drug Enforcement Administration laboratories contain a potentially deadly 

dose of fentanyl; 

Whereas Drug Enforcement Administration has created a 

special exhibit, entitled ‘‘The Faces of Fentanyl’’, to commemorate the lives lost from fentanyl poisoning and has 


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•HRES 747 IH 

received over 5,000 photos as of the date of enactment 

of this resolution; 

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more 

than 58,400,000 fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills 

and more than 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 

2022; 

Whereas, from 2019 to 2020, more than 13,000 people in the 

United States died from a drug overdose involving heroin, 

a rate of more than 4 deaths for every 100,000 people 

in the United States; 

Whereas, from 2018 to 2019, drug overdose deaths involving 

cocaine increased by nearly 9 percent, with almost 16,000 

people in the United States dying in 2019 from such an 

overdose, the highest recorded total in the 21st century; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, 2,500,000 people in the United States aged 

12 or older reported having used methamphetamine in 

2020; 

Whereas psychostimulants with abuse potential, such as 

methamphetamine, were involved in 1.3 times as many 

drug overdose deaths as cocaine; 

Whereas parents, young people, schools, businesses, law enforcement agencies, religious institutions and faith-based 

organizations, service organizations, senior citizens, medical and military personnel, sports teams, and individuals 

throughout the United States will demonstrate their commitment to healthy, productive, and drug-free lifestyles 

by wearing and displaying red ribbons during the weeklong celebration of Red Ribbon Week; and 

Whereas the National Family Partnership is forming a partnership with the grassroots group Fentanyl Fathers to 


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•HRES 747 IH 

stream the movie ‘‘Dead on Arrival’’ nationally in order 

to educate and inspire the public to participate in solving 

the fentanyl epidemic: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon 

3 Week; 

4 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

5 to wear and display red ribbons during Red Ribbon 

6 Week to symbolize their commitment to healthy, 

7 drug-free lifestyles; 

8 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

9 to light up buildings and landmarks to send a drug10 free message; 

11 (4) encourages children, teens, and other indi12 viduals to choose to live drug-free lives; and 

13 (5) encourages the people of the United 

14 States— 

15 (A) to promote the creation of drug-free 

16 communities; and 

17 (B) to participate in drug use prevention 

18 activities to show support for healthy, produc19 tive, and drug-free lifestyles. 

Æ 


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