InnerAct Alliance is proud to partner with Informed Families to promote safe, healthy homes through their "Lock Your Meds" campaign. We invite your family to join us in making 2024 the year of safety and well-being.
Improper and unsecured medication storage can lead to accidental poisonings especially in homes with young children. Teen years bring additional challenges, as curiosity can lead to experimentation and potential misuse. Studies show that more than 3.1 million teens ages 12-17 report misusing prescription drugs - the majority report obtaining the drugs from the medicine cabinets of family or friends.
Let's take steps to ensure that our children grow up drug free by taking responsibility to lock up all medication so it does not get into the wrong hands.
Practical Steps for Medication Safety
💊 Secure Storage - invest in a lockable medicine box or cabinet as an effective way to keep medications out of the wrong hands.
💊 Medication Inventory - check medications regularly and keep a log of all prescription and over-the-counter medication and expiration dates. This habit not only helps in managing health but also in prevention accidental misuse.
💊 Safe Disposal - National Prescription Drug Take Back Days are held in the Spring and Fall each year for citizens to drop off unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter human and pet medications for disposal in a safe and responsible manner. The 2024 Spring Take Back Day will take place in our community on Saturday, April 27 at participating law enforcement locations. Look for additional info to be announced soon!
Unwanted medications may also be taken to the county's permanent drop sites, funded by GiveWell Community Foundation, at the Police Department locations in Auburndale (weekdays 8-5); Haines City (weekdays 8-5); Lake Alfred (24hrs/7days); Lake Hamilton (weekdays 8-5); Lakeland (24hrs/7days); and Winter Haven (weekdays 8-5). Only solids are accepted in permanent drop boxes (no liquids or syringes). To avoid harming lakes and ground water, please do not dispose of medication in the toilet.
Community Impact
Safely securing medications helps reduce the risk of them falling into the hands of those who might misuse them, thus playing a part in the larger effort to combat prescription drug abuse in our communities.
Join us in making 2024 the year of safety and well-being. For tips, resources, and guidance on how to make your home safer, please visit the Informed Families website at: https://www.informedfamilies.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment