Gov to visit drop-off for old prescriptions

Gov. Matt Mead will drop in at a prescription pill drop-off event Saturday at the Jackson Police Department.

Use of prescription drugs to get high is a growing trend among the nation’s teenagers, Mead stated in an essay his office released this week. In Wyoming, 6 percent of high school sophomores and seniors stated they had used prescription drugs to get high in the month before a survey was administered last year.

“In this say and across the country, we increasingly see a pattern of teens having ‘pharm’ parties, where they take various pills,” Mead said. “Parents can help by recognizing this new trend and speaking to their kids about the dangers that prescription drugs pose.”

All Wyoming residents can help by keeping a close eye on prescription drugs and over-the-counter items, such as cold and cough medicines, he said. On Saturday, residents will have the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unused prescriptions, he said.

The prescription drug take-back program in Jackson will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mead will be there from 1 to 2 p.m.

People may turn in expired, unused or unwanted prescription or over-the-counter medications to be destroyed. Liquid medications and hypodermic needles will not be accepted. Those who drop off medications will remain anonymous.

The police department is inside Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl Ave.

Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs, police said. Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, police said.

The event Saturday will provide people with an appropriate way to dispose of unused medicine. Residents should not flush unwanted medication down the toilet or throw it away because of potential safety and health hazards.

Residents who are unable to participate Saturday but want to surrender unwanted medications may call the department to make arrangements, police said.

Another way to safely dispose of medications is through the Department of Health’s Medication Donation Program, which grants people to give some types of prescription drugs to those who can’t afford them. To donate, pills must be unopened and not have expired. For information, call 855-257-5041.

More source:

Drug Disposal - National Take-Back Initiative
Drop Off Old Meds: Nationwide Prescription Drug ... - AgingCare.com
Drop Off Old Medications at the Police Department | St. Clair Shores ...
Pharmaceutical Disposal Sites | Save The Bay (San Francisco)

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Submited at Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 2:00 am on Uncategorized by Gillan
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