The Ipswich Department of Public Health is pleased to announce it will be supporting National Drug Take Back Day later this month, and encourages residents to participate.
On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., residents can visit the Ipswich Middle/High School, located at 134 High St., to dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs. The free event will be sponsored by Ipswich Police and Ipswich Aware, a multi-disciplinary collaborative working to address the problem of substance abuse and addiction and promote community awareness, education and youth substance abuse prevention.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is designed to provide a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Studies show the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The Ipswich Public Health Department also recommends the following tips for parents to discuss and prevent prescription drug abuse with their children:
Talk to your teen and warn them about the potential dangers of taking medications that are not prescribed for them, including addiction and overdose.
Be clear with your expectations about drug and alcohol use and follow through by supporting healthy decisions that they make.
Ask your doctor if any medications prescribed for your family have a potential for abuse.
Take a regular inventory of medications that are kept in your home that can be abused.
Keep medications in a secure location away from your children. Consider purchasing a locked box at your local pharmacy to store medications that can be abused.
