Got Drugs? Turn in unused or expired medications for safe disposal on Saturday, April 30.

Youth as young as 12 are trying or using prescription drugs non-medically to get high or for “selfmedicating.” Pharmaceuticals are often more available to teens because they can be taken from the medicine cabinet at home. Because these drugs are so readily available, many teens believe they are a safe way to get high. Moreover, not many parents are talking to their youth about the health risks and dangers of taking non-prescribed prescription drugs.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), every day 2,500 youth age 12 to 17abuse a pain reliever for the very first time. And, more teens abuse prescription drugs than any illicit drug except marijuana. In 2008, more than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported using prescription drugs to get high. Also, many teens report mixing prescription drugs and alcohol. Using these drugs in combination can cause respiratory failure and death.

Prescription drug and medication abuse is a significant public health issue. They are easily accessible and often kept in the medicine cabinet long after they are needed, making them readily available to people who might misuse or abuse them. Medications should always be made hard to find or kept in a locked cabinet. One way to reduce accessibility is to properly dispose of them in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

Please collect your unused and expired medications and bring them to one of the following locations. Participating in the DEA National Drug Take-Back event instead of leaving medications unsecured in your home or flushing them down the toilet will help prevent drug abuse and protect our valley’s waterways.

Saturday, April 30, 2011
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Roanoke Civic Center
Salem Police Department
Botetourt County-Kroger Daleville
Tanglewood Mall-Kroger

Submitted by Kathy Sullivan, RAYSAC Coordinator.