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Community Corner

Melrose collects over 200 pounds of prescription medications for safe disposal!

The Melrose Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Melrose Police Department would like to thank all Melrose residents who participated in the last National Medication Take Back Day! The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that over 5,500 sites around the country collected 647,211 pounds (or 324 tons) of expired and unwanted prescription medications for safe and proper disposal! It was the second-largest collection of medications in the seven nationwide Take-Back Days held so far. Since the DEA started sponsoring these Take-Back Days, more than 3.4 million pounds of prescription medications have been removed from circulation.  Because of the efforts in Melrose, we collected 220 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications on October 26th! That is 220 pounds of potentially dangerous drugs removed from medicine cabinets where teens are most likely to obtain prescription medications.  This is important since more than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers report they obtained them through friends or relatives, often taking them from the family medicine cabinet.

According to a recently released study by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation, one-fourth of all teens have misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime. This is a 33% increase over the last five years. One in eight teens report they have taken Ritalin or Adderall when it was not prescribed for them.  The study also found that 27% incorrectly believe that misusing and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.

While prescription medications have an important role when used correctly and under a doctor’s supervision, they can be just as dangerous as methamphetamine or heroin if used incorrectly. In 2010, of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States, 22,134 – 60 percent – were related to prescription drugs. Of those, 75 percent involved prescription painkillers. It is extremely important for parents and teens to educate themselves in order to clear up the myth that medication prescribed by a doctor is always safe.

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As a reminder, Melrose residents do not have to wait for these national Take-Back Days to dispose of unwanted medications.  There is a medication drop box available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week located in the Melrose Police Station lobby at 56 West Foster Street.  If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes clean out your own medicine cabinet.  For more information or to get involved in the Melrose Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, please call 617-979-4128.

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