--- title: "Red Ribbon Week: practice a way to say no" published: "2026-10-24" updated: "2026-10-24" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "20 min" cost: "$0 with paper and a phone you have" ages: "13 and up" where: "A quiet spot, while everyone is calm. This is a conversation, not an interrogation." topics: ["teens","hard-conversations"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=red-ribbon-week-talk" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/red-ribbon-week-talk/" --- # Red Ribbon Week: practice a way to say no > Skip the lecture. Leave this talk with words your teen can use to decline an offer and a clear way to reach you for help. Red Ribbon Week is October 23–31 each year. ## What you need - Paper and a pen for your family help plan (have) - Your phone and your teen's phone, if they have one (have) ## Before you start - **Stay calm and listen.** AAP recommends frequent talks outside the heat of the moment, without scare tactics or shame. - **Help is available.** If you are worried about substance use or changes in your teen's mood, sleep, appetite or school life, talk with their pediatrician. - **Keep a ride available.** AAP says teens should never drive impaired or ride with someone who is, and should be able to call a trusted adult for a ride. ## Steps 1. **Ask what they have heard** (Dad) Take 3 minutes. Say, 'Red Ribbon Week is about not using drugs. What have you heard about it at school?' Listen without asking them to name classmates. If they know nothing about the week, ask what questions they have about alcohol or drugs. 2. **Say your rule and your reason** (Dad) Take 3 minutes. Say, 'I care about your safety. I don't want you using alcohol or other drugs. You can ask me questions, even awkward ones.' Ask what sounds hard about that rule. Answer only what you know; write down a question to take to their pediatrician rather than guessing. 3. **Practice their own words** (Together) Take 5 minutes. Ask permission to act out an offer: 'Want a drink?' Let them choose a reply they would actually use, such as 'No thanks, I'm heading out.' Switch roles once. Ask how they could leave the situation and reach a trusted adult. Keep it brief, without trying to trick them. 4. **Write the ride plan** (Together) Take 5 minutes. Agree that they can call or text you for a ride without a roadside lecture. Write your number and a backup adult's number, with that adult's agreement. Ask them to show how they would find the number. If they have no phone, name a trusted adult they can ask to make the call. 5. **Close and come back to it** (Together) Take 4 minutes. Have them explain the help plan in their own words. Ask, 'What would make it easier to call me?' Keep the paper somewhere they can find it privately. Pick an ordinary moment next week to check in; this conversation does not end with Red Ribbon Week. ## If it stalls - If they roll their eyes, keep just the ride plan today. Try the questions another time, without a lecture about their reaction. - If role-play feels awkward, let them write a reply instead. Read it only if they want to share it. - If they tell you they have used something, thank them for telling you, stay calm, and arrange a conversation with their pediatrician. Do not turn this practice talk into a cross-examination. ## Variations - **No phone:** Write the numbers on a small card. Name the trusted adults they can ask for help making a call. - **They want privacy:** Let them read the AAP page themselves. Come back just to agree on the ride plan and answer their questions. ## Sources - **Red Ribbon Week dates and purpose.** DEA names October 23–31 as the annual Red Ribbon Week and describes it as an opportunity for families to reinforce drug-free messages. (checked 2026-10-24) - **Calm conversations, expectations, rides and professional help.** AAP recommends frequent calm conversations, clear no-use expectations, listening without shame, asking how a teen would respond to an offer, a trusted-adult ride option, and pediatrician support for concerns about substance use. (checked 2026-10-24)