04/15/24 - 66 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/msuwtctm
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August 7 Medication Clean-Up Day Announced For Harrisburg
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Plans to help clean up medicine cabinets throughout Harrisburg to create a safer environment for residents got a boost this week when representatives of Lower Paxton Township, Drug Free PA, and the Pennsylvania Medical Society declared August 7 “Medication Clean-Up Day” in the area.
The Medication Clean-Up Day project is a pilot initiative designed to prevent the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines by providing an easy outlet for safe disposal. Earlier this year, Drug Free PA and PAMED teamed up with Pittsburgh to hold a similar event.
“Participating in Medication Clean-Up Day is an easy step that the Harrisburg region can take to make our communities a safer place for everyone, especially our youth,” said Officer John Stoner of Lower Paxton Township. “We’re asking everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets, gather any medications that are no longer needed or expired, and drop them off.”
The drop-off site, located at the Lower Paxton Municipal Center at 425 Prince Street, Harrisburg, will accept leftover medications from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on August 7.
“Prescription drugs accounted for about half of accidental poisoning deaths in the country in 2004, and every day teenagers are getting their hands on someone else’s prescription drugs to get high for the first time,” James A. Goodyear, MD, president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society said. “We’re putting into action our medication clean-up campaign to address problems like these.”
According to Chad Rohrbach, executive director of Drug Free PA, medications just sitting around the house can bring problems. “They can be stolen and sold quickly on the street,” said Rohrbach. “Prescription drug abuse is a problem. We’re often reminded of this when the news covers the death of a movie star, but it’s not limited to Hollywood. It’s happening in every community across the country including our very own backyards.”
Phil Bauer, father of Mark Daniel Bauer who passed away in 2004, understands the situation well. “I lost my son to misuse of prescription medications when he was a senior in high school,” he said. “I will do all I can to help other parents avoid the devastation that my wife and I live with every day, so I hope the Harrisburg region takes a step forward to address this issue by cleaning out medicine cabinets and dropping off leftover medications on August 7.”
The organizations also said that not only are teens at risk, but others are as well.
“I’ve seen my share of medication mix-ups when a confused patient grabs the wrong prescription bottle, thinking they have some other medication,” said Dr. Goodyear. “It’s easy for someone to do that as many pill bottles look alike, and we can help reduce that risk by properly disposing of prescriptions that are no longer needed.”
In addition, all organizations want community residents to avoid flushing old medications down the toilet, or throwing them out in the trash, both of which can create environmental concerns.
“I can ensure Harrisburg residents that if they drop off their leftover medications, they will be properly disposed of so that they don’t end up in the wrong hands or damage our environment,” said Rohrbach.
Funding for the campaign was provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency. In addition to the Pennsylvania Medical Society, Drug Free PA, and Lower Paxton Township, another supporting organization includes Dauphin County Medical Society.
All medications dropped off will be properly disposed of in an eco-appropriate manner and will not be reused or sold.
For more on the August 7 event, visit the Drug Free PA website.
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7/26/2010 |
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