With the coming of a new year comes the tradition of making resolutions. Here at Thrives we hope you add dedicating your family to properly “Lock it up.”
The Lock it Up campaign is a nationwide initiative pursued by the FDA, CDC, prevention coalitions, and public health officials. It urges all of us to properly store and dispose of our prescription drugs. This is especially important considering that in the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey 63% of 7th-10th graders in Windham Country agreed that “my family has prescription drugs in the house, and I could get them if I want them.” Fortunately, there are simply steps that we can all take to lower our families risk for prescription drug misuse.
- TALK, with your family, friends, and children about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.
- Keep medication SECURE in your home.
- Safely DISPOSE of your medication in a local medication drop box near you.
- Keep COUNT and keep track of your medications.
- NEVER SHARE your medications.
We have a great local resource here in Windham County that goes over these tips and more – WindhamRx.org. Additionally, we have convenient drop off locations all across the county (including the Sheriff’s office!) – https://www.windhamrx.org/rx-disposal-locations.html.
These tips are not only applicable to prescription drugs. Remembering to take stock off and secure any substances that have the potential for misuse is critical during this time of year. According to the CDC, the holiday season is the most dangerous time of the time year for drug and alcohol related deaths. Easy life adjustments like storing alcohol in locked cabinets or drawers and disposing of prescription drugs appropriately can help to ensure that we all have our loved ones around for many holidays seasons to come.