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The Sandusky County Health Department and Prevention Partnership Coalition will host a Medication Take- Back Event on Nov. 13.
Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., members of the community may drop off unused, unwanted or expired medications at the Health Department, located at 2000 Countryside Dr., Fremont.
“Prescription drug abuse is an emerging epidemic within our society, causing numerous deaths that are preventable,” said Stacey Gibson, Prevention Partnership coordinator. “According to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS), unintentional drug poisoning has been the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio since 2007. We want local residents and parents to be aware of the dangers located within own homes. Our medicine cabinets have become an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine by young people.”
The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows prescription medicines to be the most abused drugs by Americans, other than marijuana. The survey also found that 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives.
According to the 2009-2010 Sandusky County Commun
ity Health Assessment, five percent of adults reported to have misused medications that had been prescribed for them or that they had purchased over the counter. In addition, 10 percent of Sandusky County youths age 12 to 18 reported using medications that were not prescribed for them or took more than prescribed to feel good or get high at sometime in their life.
In Sandusky County, prescription drug abuse is third only to marijuana (24 percent) and closely behind inhalant use (11 percent). From 2004 to 2008, Sandusky County has had 30 unintentional drug/medication deaths according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Misuse of medications is also not an uncommon problem. As the population ages, the use of medications increases, creating a situation in which the misuse of medications will continue to grow. Inappropriate use can lead to situations that can be dangerous, including: antibiotic resistance, inappropriate treatment and delay to treatment. Sharing of medications among family members and friends is also not uncommon and can be hazardous.
To prevent misuse or abuse, Prevention Partnership suggests:
• Take inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medicine.
• Lock their medicine chest.
• Dispose of unused, unwanted and expired medicine in the home at a designated disposal site.
• Take medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.
• Talk to children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
The Prevention Partnership Coalition is collaborating with area agencies, including the Sandusky County Health Department, OSS Solid Waste District, Fremont Police Department, Sandusky County Watershed Coalition, University of Findlay, College of Pharmacy, F.S.I. Disposal and the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office to raise awareness about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and reduce the availability of powerful drugs that lead kids down a path to addiction. Providing community members with a means for the safe and convenient disposal of medications can help prevent abuse, misuse and poisonings.
For more information on the Prevention Partnership Coalition, call Stacey Gibson at 419-334-6395, or visit www.sanduskycohd.org.
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