Red Ribbon Week 2026: Make a Difference. Be a Hero.
Red Ribbon Week starts tomorrow, October 23, and runs through Halloween. This year's national theme is "Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free."
We love that word: hero. Because in our Future Fuel classes, the heroes we meet don't wear capes. They're the teen who walks a drunk friend to safety and calls her mom. The kid who says "nah, I'm good" and changes the subject. The friend who knows how to use Narcan. Make a Difference. Be a Hero.
Here's a secret: most teens don't use
You'd never guess it from social media, but teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana is at record lows. In the 2025 Monitoring the Future survey, 91% of eighth graders hadn't used any of the three in the past year. Saying no puts you in the majority, not the minority.
That same survey did spot a small but worrying rise in teen heroin and cocaine use. Both are still far below where they were decades ago — but with fentanyl in the supply, even a small rise is a big deal.
Make a Difference. Be a Hero.
Five ways to be a hero this week
Be an upstander. If someone's being pressured, step in or step beside them. Practice with our free games: Upstander Kids (ages 8–12) and Upstander Teens.
Have an exit line ready. "My mom drug tests me," "I've got practice," or just "No thanks." Rehearse it so it comes out easy.
Use the buddy rule. Arrive together, leave together. Nobody gets left behind at a party.
Know the overdose steps. Call 911, give Narcan, stay with them. (See our posts from Oct 15 and Oct 20.)
Check on your people. Stress, grief and loneliness drive a lot of substance use. A text that says "you good?" matters.
Advice from our youth
The best words on our website came from a 15-year-old in Future Fuel: "It's your mind, so take control of it." Read more student advice on our Future Fuel page.
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