On the last week of October the Danbury High School hosted the traditional #RedRibbonWeek to spread awareness of substance abuse in our local area. 

Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign created in 1985, which serves as a symbol to fight against tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Several clubs, including Key Club and NEHS, took the opportunity to join the cause, doing acts to contribute to the momentous occasion. One such club was the Teen Leadership Health Council (TLHC), who posted the events of #RedRibbonWeek on Instagram (@tlhcdanbury) and gave daily statistics on varying topics surrounding the premise of abuse. The TLHC  information about drug abuse is in the student announcements.

Their efforts to promote the discontinuation of drugs among teens has not stopped at Red Ribbon Week for the TLHC.  The club performs different events throughout the school year such as Mental Health Week and the Freshman Forum to emphasize their message. They provide presentations to show the importance of mental health and use different activities to show the various coping strategies. Their desire to partake in their club’s activism derives from personal experiences. Their president, Kazi Begum, believes that  partaking in the club comes from her “own mental health struggles” and she would like to help others build on “their leadership, organization, and planning just as [she] once did.” 

The TLHC has recently cooperated with the “Stand Together Make a Difference Coalition,” (STMAD) to gain experience in an outside setting and to once again spread their message about substance awareness to the local community. They have done community service by talking about issues in our local area. “This allows their members to introduce themselves into new environments such as law enforcement and local government.’

Begum, also a STMAD Representative, concludes, “This club has helped me learn and understand the importance of educating my fellow peers and others in the community about the importance of mental health.” The TLHC continuously makes efforts to raise awareness about drug use that should be recognized as a point of pride in our school.