Just a Friendly Reminder…

We are here just to remind you that one of the greatest contributors to opioid and Rx drug misuse by teens are their peers/close friends and family. In most cases, teens receive these medication from peers and family who may already have existing prescriptions or may have retrieved these medications from someone they know.  Old, expired, and unused medications that are present in the home provides easy access to Rx drugs which can lead drug misuse. Therefore, if we create barriers by reducing the access, we prevent the misuse!

So, what does this look like? We encourage keeping inventory of all the medications and current prescriptions in the home and securely locking them away, so it is not as easy to obtain these medications without efforts going unnoticed. Additionally, we also encourage ridding the home of unused and expired drugs, with an emphasis on proper disposal practices. It’s not enough just to throw these medications away in the trash because they can still be retrieved and misused. In addition to this, flushing medication down the drain or toilet can contaminate community water supply. If you can’t get to a drug disposal site where you can drop off your medications to be properly disposed by professionals, you can still do your part with the use of DisposeRx at-home medication disposal packets. These disposal packets contain powder that deactivates your medication when it is mixed with the medication and water. The now deactivated medication is safe to throw away in the trash or flush down a drain!

For more information about this product, click the link. –> DisposeRx Packets

If you would like to obtain packets for your household, you can text “MEDS” to 85775 or follow the link below!

Request Home RX Drug Disposal Packets

As we all know, we can only do what is within our power to prevent Rx drug/opioid misuse and the fatal events that may follow. Sometimes, unfortunate things still can happen. In this event, should anyone ever be caught in a situation where he/she or a loved one is experiencing an opioid drug overdose, just know that they are not alone with the help of NALOXONE. Naloxone, also known as Narcan or EVZIO, is a non-addictive medication designed to treat that overdose by reversing its effects in emergency situation like an overdose. It is literally a life-saving drug! For more information about Naloxone, click the link below!

You’re Not Alone With NALOXONE

All in all, we are here as a friendly reminder that there are many things we can do to stop the opioid crisis. We just have to put forth the effort to do so!

Resources

Year-Round Drug Disposal

Find a Drug Take Back Location

Opioids, Rx Drugs, and Heroin

Prevent Rx Abuse Toolkit

Medication Abuse Prevention: Resource Guide