SAFE GC Coalition: Encouraging the Community to Shed Meds

On October 19th SAFE, the City of Glen Cove Mayor’s office, the Glen Cove Police Department and Glen Cove EMS partnered on their annual event entitled “Shed Your Meds.” This prevention program follows the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day – a day that encourages the public to safely dispose of unneeded controlled prescription medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

This year over 150 pounds of unwanted medications were collected. Additionally, Deterra bags were provided by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and given to all those who came to dispose of their unwanted medications. The kit allows individuals to safely dispose of medication at home in between Shed Your Meds event. Kits are also available at the SAFE office.

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and health:

• 2 million people misused codeine products in the past year. These products also have been commonly prescribed opioids.
• 5.7 million people abused prescription opioids Vicodin® or hydrocodone (classified as misusers of hydrocodone products).
• 31.3 percent of misusers of prescription pain relievers (or 2.6 million people) misused oxycodone products in the past year, including OxyContin®, Percocet®, Percodan®, Roxicodone®, and generic oxycodone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintain 12-17-year-olds abuse prescription drugs more than they abuse ecstasy, crack, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine combined. Drugs commonly used by youth are: Stimulants -have side effects in common with cocaine, and may include paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures, and an irregular heartbeat, especially if stimulants are taken in large doses or in ways other than swallowing a pill; Opioids- which act on the same parts of the brain as heroin, can cause drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, depending on the amount taken, slowed breathing; Depressants -can cause slurred speech, shallow breathing, fatigue, disorientation, lack of coordination, and seizures upon withdrawal from chronic use.

Abuse of prescription medication has become a crucial public safety and public health issue. Every day, 2,000 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time. They’re primarily accessing these drugs in homes. It can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer or medicine cabinet. Two-thirds of teens who misused pain relievers in the past year say that they got them from family and friends, including their home’s medicine cabinets which is their drug supplier.

Shed Your Meds is a helpful way to decrease youth risk of prescription medication misuse.

Learn more about National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day at https://wwwdeadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled. “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE,” to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about the Opioid Epidemic at www.safeglencove.org.