Family Health

Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Keep-It-Real-logo-colorBy Sharon Tankersley

What is the most commonly abused drugs among 12-13 year-olds? Prescription drugs.

Many think that prescription drugs are safe because a doctor prescribes them.

But students are misusing ADHD medications to help them study, and young people are selling and using opiate-based pain medications like Oxycontin and Percocet to get high.

We’ve done much in recent years to educate citizens on the pill abuse problem in our community.

Programs like the Med Toss Drug Take Back Day hosted each fall and spring by Lexington Division of Police are helping get unused medications safely out of homes and off the streets.

New laws governing who and how certain drugs can be prescribed are restricting access of potential abusers.

We won’t be satisfied until prescription drug abuse is shown to be on the decline.

But we have miles to go, so please do your part.

Drop off your unused or expired medications at one of several Lexington locations for free on Saturday, April 27.

For details, please visit www.lexingtonky.gov/MedToss.

Parents and other youth influencers in our community can do even more to protect their children from the dangers of prescription drug misuse.

Take these steps today:

  • Take inventory of your at-home prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.
  • Lock up your medications, then check and count them often.
  • Dispose of unused and expired medicine safely – visit a Med Toss site near you in April.
  • Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. (Info: Please visit PhRMA at www.phrma.org).
  • Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse… they are listening.

For tips, please visit The Partnership at DrugFree.Org, Teens.Drugabuse.gov, and StopMedicineAbuse.com.

If you’d like to learn more about prevention of prescription drug abuse, please contact the Fayette County Mayor’s Alliance on Substance Abuse.

Visit us at www.drugfreelex.com and find out how YOU can get involved and help make a positive difference!

Sharon Tankersley is the Drug-Free Communities Project Coordinator for the Fayette County Mayor’s Alliance.
Contact her at (859) 225-3296 ext. 658 or by e-mail at setankersl@bluegrass.org.