News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Power of Putnam is hosting Drug Take Back Day this Saturday to dispose of unnecessary prescription drugs and medications.
Power of Putnam Project Coordinator Alec Nelson said the event will allow those in the community to dispose of expired prescription drugs safely to prevent accidental overdoses. Nelson said the results of an annual student survey should wave a red flag.
“We see that one of the local factors that influences medication misuse and another reason why it is important to dispose of them properly is we see over 62 percent of our students in Putnam County in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth-grade report using prescription medications in the last thirty days to get high,” Nelson said.
Nelson said some prescription drugs are easily obtainable as kids can get them from friends or relatives. Nelson said the drug problems are becoming more concerning in Putnam County as the average age of drug users has gotten younger over the years.
“Ultimately and as sad as it is the age of initiation is going down every year,” Nelson said. “It may not be getting worse but the age in which they are using these prescription medications and just other drugs in general the age of it is going down so it is a problem.”
Nelson said part of Drug Take Back Day is to educate citizens about storing prescriptions safely. Nelson said resources will be given out to those who dispose of medications.
“We have multiple resources that we will be giving out at each site and one of those resources is lock boxes,” Nelson said. “Our lock boxes are packed with resources and there is more information in the lock boxes with the resources that have things such as medication-based practices, monitoring and securing your medications.”
Nelson said the goal is to remove as many unwanted drugs from the community as possible. Drug Take Back Day runs from 10am-2pm at five locations across Putnam County. Dropoff locations include Medplus Pharmacy, Infinity Pharmacy, Algood Family Pharmacy, Monterey Drugs, and Nunally Drug Store.
