Taking Action Against Medicine Abuse: Part 1 of 5
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Gloucester Townsnip Police Department
October is Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The Gloucester Township Police anddrugfree.org are partnering to present a five part series on helping our residents fight prescription drug abuse. The Gloucester Township Police Community Relations Bureau recently updated and started teaching a new Society Improvement Program for all 4thgraders in Gloucester Township teaching them about the abuse of prescription pills and how to be safe. Below is the first of the series.
Did You Know?
- 1 in 6 teens has used a prescription drug in order to get high or change their mood.
- Two-thirds of teens who abuse pain relievers say they get them from family members and friends.
- More Americans die from drug overdoses than in car crashes.
- One person dies every 19 minutes from drug overdose in the United States and this increasing trend is driven by Rx painkillers.
Now that you know the facts, take action to protect your children your loved ones, and yourself from prescription medicine abuse.
Action 1: Three Steps to Safeguard your Home
1. Monitor. Keep track of the amounts of your prescriptions, control your kids’ medicines and encourage your friends and relatives, especially grandparents, to monitor and secure their own.
2. Secure Your Medicine. Keep prescription medicine secure, preferably locked, in a place that your kids and visitors to your home will not easily find.
3. Dispose Properly of Your Unused Medicine. Crush and mix it with unpleasant garbage, or find a medicine take-back site near you. Never flush down the toilet or sink drain.
Action 2: Know the Signs and Symptoms of Medicine Abuse
1. Educate Yourself. The best way to prevent prescription drug abuse is to learn about the issue. That way, you can effectively present the facts when talking to your teen. Go to The Medicine Abuse Project website at MedicineaAbuseProject.org.
2. Get Help. If you think your child has a problem with prescription drugs or over-the-counter cough medicine, please visit drugfree.org/timetogethelp or call the Partnership’s Parents Toll-Free Helpline to speak to a parent specialist at 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373).
Action 3: Talk to Your Family, Friends and Other Parents:
Talk to your kids, your family, your friends, and other parents about the risks of abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicine. Children who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who do not get that critical message at home. Download the free Partnership Parent Talk Kit at pact360.org/page/rx-talk-kit.
Action 4: Share the Information with Others:
You can make a real difference in the lives of your family, loved ones, friends, co-workers and neighbors by sharing this information via email and social media. Learn how atpact360.org/page/parents360-rx-promotion.
If you have any questions you may contact the Gloucester Township Police Community Relations Bureau, Lt. Brendan Barton [email protected] or Cpl. Sean Grannan at[email protected] or by calling 856-228-4011. If you need immediate assistance you may call 856-228-4500 or 9-1-1 for an emergency.
