Substance Abuse
Substance Abuse: Prescription Drugs

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Orange County is October 27

Observing the 16th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day means that it is time for Orange County residents to clean out their medicine cabinets. This October 27, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, thousands of law enforcement agencies in the OC, throughout the State of California, and across the rest of the United States will offer individuals and families a safe, convenient, and responsible way to get rid of unwanted or unused prescription drugs.

In addition, this is a great chance for the public to find out more about how to prevent prescription drug abuse.  The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that the non-medical misuse of prescription meds is the second-most common type of drug abuse in America.

The slogan for this year’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is:

“Keep them safe.  Clean them out.  Take them back.”

Results from the Previous National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The most recent event was last held in April 2018, and the results were overwhelmingly positive Across America, there were:

  • 5842 turn-in sites.
  • 949,046 pounds of medications collected.
  • A total of 9,964,714 pounds of meds was turned in from the previous 15 events.

California is one of the top turn-in states:

  • 192 California law enforcement agencies participated in April.
  • Throughout California, were 318 collection sites.
  • 69,983 pounds of excess medications were turned in.
  • In 15 previous events, 890,133 pounds of prescriptions were collected.

How Does National Drug Take Back Day Help Prevent Addiction?

The Office of National Drug Control Policy advises that removing excess medications from the home is an important strategy to prevent diversion and misuse. Of special relevance, most people who abuse prescriptions don’t need to buy them from a dealer. Instead, they get them from family members and friends.

For example, 70% of teenagers who abuse prescription medications admit that they took the drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets at home.

That statistic highlights why it’s so important to maintain an accurate, regular inventory of all prescriptions in the home. Parents need to know:

  • Exactly which drugs are prescribed.
  • How they should properly be taken.
  • How many are currently on hand at any given time.

Depending upon the circumstances at home, it might even be necessary to keep all prescription medications locked up. And when prescriptions are no longer needed or wanted, they should be disposed off properly or turned in at collection sites. To find the closest Nation Prescription Drug Take Back Day collection site, click here.

If you suspect that someone you care about is abusing prescription medications, the best thing you can do is to talk to an addiction recovery specialist to get the needed support and help.

Chapman House Treatment Centers is a premium drug rehab in Orange County, California. By offering complete recovery services such as drug education, individual counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, group sessions, and Medication-Assisted Treatment, Chapman House helps individuals and families heal from the devastating disease of addiction.

To start the getting better TODAY, contact Chapman House right away.

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