Prescription drug abuse has become an area of concern in Garrett County and the United States. Many people use prescription drugs properly, but nearly 1 in 5 Garrett County youth reported abusing them to get high (Maryland Youth Tobacco and Risk Behavior Survey 2013).
Almost 60% of youth that misused prescription drugs said they got it from a social source (Garrett County Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2012). A social source includes any non-commercial source of alcohol such as older friends or relatives. The Drug Free Communities Coalition of Garrett County has initiatives in place to educate the community in an effort to reduce misuse and limit youth access to prescription drugs.
What you can do to help:
Educate: Take advantage of any of the resources below that can help start a conversation or provide information to people that you have access to.
• Talking Points
• Toolkit
• Disposal Flier
• Drop Box Poster
• Drop Box Postcards (4 on a page)
Monitor: Take note of how many pills are in each of your prescription bottles or pill packets. Keep track of your refills. This goes for your own medicine, as well as for your children and other members of the household. If you find you need to refill your medicine more often than expected, that could indicate a problem.
Secure: Take medications out of the medicine cabinet and hide them in a safe place that only you know about. If possible, keep all medicines in a locked cabinet or box. For information about prescription drug lock boxes, call the health department.
Dispose: Safely disposing of unused medications is a critical step in helping protect youth. Discard outdated or unused prescriptions and over the counter drugs. Unless the directions say otherwise, do not flush medication down the drain or toilet. To prevent unauthorized refills and protect you and your family’s privacy, remove any personal, identifiable information from prescription bottles or pill packages before you dispose of them. You can dispose of unwanted medications at the following sites, year-round:
• Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, 301-334-1911, 202 South Third Street, Oakland, MD 21550
• MD State Police Barrack, 301-387-1101, 67 Friendsville Road, McHenry, MD 21541
If you are unable to dispose of your medications at one of the drop boxes listed you can mix them in kitty litter or used coffee grounds. Add water to the mixture and put in a container with a lid and dispose of in the garbage.
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