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Millions of Americans have been prescribed medication by their physicians to combat any number of ailments. While these are very beneficial for the patient, the problem comes when these drugs get into the wrong hands, are abused, and cause either death or a lifetime of addiction. Some organizations are working on different ways to keep these drugs away from kids and drug abusers, including a take back program.
The wonderful world of medicine has come up with solutions for nearly every pain or disease there is. Many of these drugs are controlled substances and are very powerful and addicting. Opioids are the prescriptions that generally treat pain. Depressants treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants treat things like ADHD.
Misusing Medications
Sometimes a patient no longer needs these pills or their prescription changes, and this often leaves these people wondering what to do with the leftover pills. If these pills are left in the house, a drug seeking friend or family member may get into the medicine cabinet, and use the patient’s personal medications as their supply. When in the wrong hands or overdosed, prescription medications can give the person a high, or cause hallucinations, and they can also cause heart problems, brain damage, addiction, and death.
Prescription drug abuse has been a rising trend in the past decade, but in the last year or so, the numbers seem to be falling. This could be because of education and greater awareness of the dangers of prescription drugs. However, prescription drug abuse still happens, and is still a serious problem in many areas.
Take Back Programs
Many cities are now trying a take back program where individuals are able to drop off their unused prescription medications in a safe place. Usually there will be a safely locked box for pills to be put into, and later these meds are destroyed. The take back programs are offered for a limited time, in a set location. Programs like this are helpful because the unwanted prescriptions are not left in a place where they can be found and abused.
Saving the Environment
The take back programs also help the environment and the water supply. In the past, patients were told to simply flush their unwanted pills down the toilet to dispose of them. But now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeing an increase in these substances in our water supply. The medications are not always removed in the water treatment process. The pharmaceuticals are also getting into groundwater, lakes, and rivers, causing mutations and problems with fish and amphibians.
While these programs are helpful in their fight against substance abuse, there still needs to be a focus on education about prescription drugs. With take back programs and with keeping careful tabs on medicine cabinets, people can make it harder for drug seekers to get their supply. But there are other ways to get these drugs, so education is necessary to continue to keep this problem in check.
Sources
Innovative Clallam drug take-back program on hold
Police and Boehringer will collect prescription drugs
NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription and over-the-counter medications
Police department’s take-back programs aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse
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Mike — October 5, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
thanks for the post.
My first inclination was just to respond, “flush them,” but then I read on. That’s terrible traces of these chemicals can be found in the water. Do you have a list or a link where these pills can be returned?