WHAT: The Drug Enforcement Administration, joined by the U.S. Postal Service and Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, will hold a dedication ceremony for the release of the Drug Free USA Forever stamp, coinciding with Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and promote drug abuse prevention.

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. EDT

WHERE: DEA Headquarters, 700 Army Navy Dr., Auditorium, Rm #300, Arlington, VA
The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

WHO: Timothy J. Shea, DEA Acting Administrator; Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Postal Service; Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020; and Peggy Sapp, National Family Partnership President.

MEDIA AVAIL: AA Shea will be available, upon request, for in-person, one-on-one interviews immediately following the ceremony.
News media wishing to attend must RSVP to [email protected] in order to allow for social distancing protocols.

BACKGROUND:

The Drug Free USA Forever stamp features original artwork by Aaron Draplin. The image of a white star with lines of red, light blue and blue radiating from one side of each of the star’s five points suggests the unity that is necessary at all levels to effectively address drug abuse. The stamp’s background is dark blue. “Drug Free USA” appears above the stamp art, while the stamp’s denomination, “Forever,” appears below it. The year 2020 runs vertically along the bottom right corner of the image. The Drug Free USA stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Greg Breeding designed the stamp and was also the typographer. William J. Gicker was the art director.
Red Ribbon Week, which takes place in schools and communities nationwide every year from Oct. 23-31, helps parents as well as teachers, business owners and neighborhood organizations promote drug abuse awareness and prevention. Red Ribbon Week was started by high school students in California following the murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Mexico in 1985.
Participants wear a red ribbon or red to symbolize their dedication to preventing drug abuse. The annual campaign is sponsored by the National Family Partnership.
News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #DrugFreeStamp.
For a toolkit with Red Ribbon materials and more information on how to participate in Red Ribbon events, visit the Red Ribbon Campaign page on www.dea.gov.
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