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Medicine Drop events planned as part of Poison Prevention Week
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Published: March 7, 2010
North Carolina Poison Prevention Week begins March 14 and continues through March 20.
Operation Medicine Drop will host take-back events where the public can drop off prescriptions or over-the-counter products that may have expired or are unused.
Operation Medicine Drop is a statewide program established by Safe Kids North Carolina along with law enforcement agencies, State Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration.
In Cabarrus County, the kick off event is March 15 at Concord Fire Station No. 3 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
A law enforcement officer will dispose of the medications in a safe and secure way.
In the United States, an estimated $1 billion dollars worth of prescription drugs are thrown away each year, according to Operation Medicine Drop.
"A lot of people just flush them down the toilet. Our water system isn't made to handle that kind of material," Amanda Butler, life safety educator for Concord Fire and Life Safety said.
"Years ago you were taught to flush them but we are trying to reeducate, and show people this is a safer way to disposal of them," public safety educator for Kannapolis Fire Department Maria Bostian said.
Most childhood poisonings occur from medications. Most caregivers and parents are familiar with household dangers of cleaning solutions and poisonous plants, but don't always think about the medications they have in the home.
Children ages one to five account for 23 percent of all emergency department visits related to poisoning, and result in a high death rate of infants younger than one year old due to their smaller size, according to the World Health Organization 2008 Childhood Injury Report.
In North Carolina in 2008, unintentional poisoning was second to motor vehicle crashes as the cause unintentional injury death among children, according to Butler.
Over the counter medications like cough medicines, iron tablets, antihistamines and aspirin or inflammatory medications, as well as prescription drugs like ant- depressants, recreational drugs, and narcotics are the most common medicines children have access too.
Poisonings from prescription medications is on the rise in North Carolina, according to North Carolina Division of Public Health, and since 1999 more than 75 percent of all unintentional poisonings were caused by prescription or over-the-counter medications. It isn't only a problem for children Butler and Bostian explained.
"People age 35 to 54 unintentional poisoning caused more deaths than motor vehicle crashes nationwide and in North Carolina, according," Butler said.
For adult the biggest risk is misuse or over use of narcotic pain medication.
Operation Medicine Drop is a "no questions asked" program aimed at providing the public a safe and secure method for disposing of their prescription and over-the-counter medications.
The best form of prevention is to remove any risk from a child's environment.
"This is something we'd like to offer more throughout the community," Butler said.
"It's not something we are limiting ourselves to that one week. We may do another event in October. We have a big safety day then," Bostian said.
For more information visit www.ncsafekids.org.
• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140
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