DEA’s National Red Ribbon Rally was held on October 17, 2018 at DEA Headquarters. Jim Handly, veteran broadcast journalist and anchor for the Washington, D.C. area, NBC4 served as the event emcee. The rally was attended by program participants, including the Colonel Wesley Fox Young Marines Color Guard, Eat at Joe’s acapella group from Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. and invited guests from other federal agencies, the military, DEA’s prevention partners, and students from H.B. Woodlawn Secondary Program, Arlington, Virginia.  The guest speaker for the rally was Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director James Carroll, who encouraged the youth to get involved in local efforts – communities that have Drug Free Communities grants – to make a difference. 

"Red Ribbon Week supports the shared goal of the law enforcement and prevention communities which is to decrease substance abuse in our country and the pain suffering and death that it causes. This Administration is committed to this goal and we believe that strong effective enforcement of our drug laws is critical to achieving this objective."
Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon