Sign Up for Drug Facts Chat Day
If you work with teens and have access to a bank of computers, you may want to sign up for Drug Facts Chat Day (Tuesday, January 28, 2014). This video from this year's Chat Day will give you more information.
You can sign up at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/ndfw/register.
It's That Time Again!
In the previous seven collections, 1,771 tons of pill have been collected! This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Unused medicines stored in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Take Only As Directed
The CDC has labelled prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. The DEA estimates that every 14 minutes someone in the US dies from an unintentional overdoses. For every death, 10 people are admitted into treatment, and 28 people are treated in an emergency room. 6700 people START misusing Rx drug every day.
This media campaign by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services describes the problem, helps identify signs of abuse, provides information about treatment and recovery, and has links to more resources. This information can be found at http://www.takeonlyasdirected.com/
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