HouseH.Res. 1581119th Congress
Supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week during the period of October 23 through October 31, 2026.
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1581 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1581
Supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week during the period of
October 23 through October 31, 2026.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2026
Mr. McDowell submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week during the period of
October 23 through October 31, 2026.
Whereas the National Family Partnership started the Red Ribbon Campaign in 1988
to--
(1) educate the people of the United States about the link between drug
use and violence;
(2) preserve the memory of Enrique ``Kiki'' Camarena (referred to in
this preamble as ``Special Agent Camarena''), a special agent of the Drug
Enforcement Administration who--
G (A) served the Drug Enforcement Administration for 11 years; and
G (B) was murdered in the line of duty in 1985, while engaged in the
battle against illicit drugs;
(3) commemorate the service of Special Agent Camarena to the Drug
Enforcement Administration and the people of the United States; and
(4) 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 the Drug Enforcement Administration's Fentanyl Free America campaign
supports the goals of Red Ribbon Week by educating the public about the
dangers of illicit fentanyl, promoting drug-free and healthy lifestyles,
preventing overdoses, and encouraging communities to work together to
save lives;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug
overdose is 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 70,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United
States in 2025;
Whereas reducing the demand for illicit controlled substances would--
(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 launched an upgraded initiative
called ``Every Day is Take Back Day'' wherein locations of year-round
drop boxes are identified for the public to safely dispose of unused or
expired prescription drugs that can lead to accidental poisoning,
overdose, or misuse;
Whereas synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and the analogues of fentanyl,
devastated communities and families at an unprecedented rate, claiming
more than 38,000 lives in 2025;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration's Special Operations Division is
essential to the Nation's efforts to combat illicit drugs because its
intelligence-sharing and deconfliction capabilities help law enforcement
partners coordinate safely and effectively, disrupt trafficking
networks, and prevent deaths caused by fentanyl and other dangerous
substances;
Whereas the presence of fentanyl, the analogues of fentanyl, and other synthetic
opioids (i.e. nitazenes, orphines, etc.) pose hazards to police officers
and law enforcement agents;
Whereas 29 percent of pills tested at Drug Enforcement Administration
laboratories contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration has created a special exhibit and
website titled ``The Faces of Fentanyl Memorial Wall and Kiosk'' to
commemorate the lives lost from fentanyl poisoning, and has received
over 7,500 photos as of the date of enactment of this resolution;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than 47,000,000
fentanyl-laced, counterfeit prescription pills and nearly 10,000 pounds
of fentanyl powder in 2025;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration's laboratories continue to identify
xylazine, a veterinary drug used to sedate animals with no legitimate
use in humans, in fentanyl powders and pills making the fentanyl even
deadlier;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration's laboratories are identifying other
dangerous and deadly synthetic drugs, to include nitazenes and orphines,
in the drug supply chain;
Whereas, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, among people aged 12 or older in 2025, 69,800,000 people
used illicit drugs in the past year;
Whereas, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, the percentage of people aged 12 or older who misused
prescription opioids in the past year decreased from 3 percent, or
8,500,000 people, in 2021, to 2.4 percent, or 6,900,000 people, in 2025;
Whereas, in 2026, from January 1 to June 29, 2026, the Drug Enforcement
Administration seized over 120,000 pounds of methamphetamine and an
estimated nearly 3,000,000 methamphetamine-laced counterfeit
prescription pills, which is over 7 times the number of pills seized in
2020;
Whereas drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants, such as
methamphetamine, rose from 5,777 in 2015, to over 26,000 deaths in 2025,
and now outpaces overdoses involving cocaine;
Whereas the number of cocaine overdose deaths in 2025 was nearly 3 times the
number in 2015;
Whereas nearly 20,000 United States citizens died in 2025 from an overdose
involving 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 week-long celebration of
Red Ribbon Week; and
Whereas the National Family Partnership is forming a partnership with the
grassroots group Fentanyl Fathers to stream the movie ``Dead on
Arrival'' nationally to educate and inspire the public to participate in
solving the fentanyl epidemic: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week;
(2) encourages children, teens, and other individuals to
choose to live drug-free lives; and
(3) encourages the people of the United States to--
(A) wear and display red ribbons during Red Ribbon
Week to symbolize their commitment to healthy, drug-
free lifestyles;
(B) light up buildings and landmarks to send a
drug-free message;
(C) promote the creation of drug-free communities;
and
(D) participate in drug use prevention activities
to show support for healthy, productive, and drug-free
lifestyles.
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