OMD coming to a Food Lion and Walgreens near you!
Operation Medicine Drop is set for this coming Saturday, March 24th to help celebrate National Poison Prevention Week. This is a program that helps take care of everyone in one way or another. The average North Carolinian fills 14 prescriptions a year. Now for those of you out there who don’t fill more than one…or even that many; how does this help you? Prescription drug misuse and abuse is the second leading cause of death in NC (and in the US). The Center for Disease Control is now identifying prescription drug overdose as an epidemic. Why is drug abuse so prevalent and how are people getting the drugs??
Well, it is simple really….there’s a lot of drugs out there. In fact, 40% of prescriptions dispensed are never used. We all have them right in our medicine cabinets. The fact that these drugs have legitimate uses for those they are prescribed to can give them a “safe” image to easily experiment with. 75% of teens who abuse prescription drugs report that they get the drugs from family and friends.
OMD keeps our waters safe as well. Flushing medications down the toilet and draining them in the sink is a common misconception. Sewer systems and septic tanks are not designed to filter out the trace levels of pharmaceuticals, easily slipping through to our waterways, groundwater, and posing risks to our drinking water supply. In fact, most drinking water supplies are already showing the presence of pharmaceutical pollution. In August 2008, the Associated Press (AP) reported that at least 41 million American’s drinking water is contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs. Not to mention certain amphibious animals are showing signs of developmental disabilities in streams and rivers with high pharmaceutical pollution such as frogs and largemouth bass.
So, how do you get rid of them? That’s where we come in. Operation Medicine Drop was founded in Onslow County in 2010 with the partnership of White Oak-New Riverkeeper Alliance, Jacksonville Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff, and Swansboro Police and SafeKidsNC. Law enforcement officers provide assistance at each drop off location to ensure safety and proper disposal of medications. At the end of the day, the medications are then taken to be appropriately incinerated. OMD is now successfully run state-wide!
Come take part in OMD at any Onslow County Food Lion or Walgreens location from 10am-2pm this Saturday. If you don't have any drugs to get rid of-tell your neighbors and your friends! And tell tell them to tell their neighbors and friends! You will help keep your community safe from the misuse of drugs as well as helping to protect our waters! It’s a win-win! Special thanks to all of the volunteers who have signed up to help! We cannot successfully function without you! I look forward to experiencing my first OMD and meeting as many of you as I can! Here's to safe communitites and safe water!
