Union County, New Jersey, November 14, 2009- Operation Medicine Cabinet will give Union County residents a chance to get rid of their unwanted medicine on November 14, 2009. Nineteen towns throughout Union County will be hosting this program as well as the rest of New Jersey as a joint venture between The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - New Jersey Division, the New Jersey Prevention Network, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ). Operation Medicine Cabinet will permit inhabitants of Union County to dispose of their unwanted or expired prescription and over the counter medications and then Law Enforcement will rid the medications in a safe and non-hazardous manner.
In a recent student survey administered by Prevention links and the Union County Coalition for the Prevention of Substance Abuse, 30% of respondents have tried prescription drugs, and 16% have tried them in the last 30 days all with the intentions of getting high. 50% of those who use prescription and over the counter drugs to get high, try them by age ten. Prevention Links continues to promote community involvement and participation in efforts to educate parents about the dangers of medicine abuse among teens. With 30 percent of Middle School students who believe using prescription drugs that are not prescribed to you does not have any real health consequences, it’s imperative that Union County communities become educated.
If you are not able to attend Operation Medicine Cabinet, federal guideline have five steps to dispose of prescription and non prescription medicine according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy: (A) Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers (B) Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds (C) Put the combination into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag. (D) Remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or duct tape (E) Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash.
The following towns will be participating: Berkley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union Township, Westfield, and Winfield.
For more information on Operation Medicine Cabinet you can visit www.operationmedicinecabinetnj.com or call your local police department. For information about this or any other Alcohol, Tobacco or other Drug Prevention Program, please contact Michael Capko at info@preventionlinks.org or call (732) 381-4100.
PREVENTION LINKS – Prevention Links, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent substance abuse in Union County through providing resources, evidence based programs, and referrals. For over 35 years, Prevention Links has been the identified prevention agency in Union County providing services to over 20,000 residents each year. |
