Lock Your Meds

1. Lock Your Meds BE AWARE. DON'T SHARE. Sponsored by

2. Your Home Medicine Cabinet: Does it look like this?

4. 80% U.S. adults use Rx, OTC, or dietary supplements. 5 out of 6 people 65+ take at least one prescription. Over 30% of adults take 5 or more different medications. 92% of multiple Rx users are 50+.

5. Misuse versus Abuse • MISUSE:The use of medication for a medical purpose other than as directed or indicated, whether willful or unintentional, and whether harm results or not. • ABUSE:The intentional self-administration of a medication for a nonmedical purpose, such as "getting high."

6. Prescription drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the U.S. Some people, particularly teens, believe these substances are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a health care professional and sold behind the counter.

7. Because prescription drugsare legal, they are easilyaccessible, often from ahome medicine cabinet.

8. Drugs of Choice for Youth: • Marijuana • Prescription drugs • Ecstasy • Methamphetamine Every day 2500 teens abuse a Rx drug for the first time.(National Council on Patient Information and Education)

9. 1 in 5 teens report abusing Rx drugs to get high 2 in 5 teens believe that Rx drugs are "much safer" than illegal drugs Nearly 3 in 10 teens believe Rx pain relievers are not addictive 31% believe there's "nothing wrong" with using Rx drugs with no prescription Teens and Their Attitudes

10. Dangers of Rx Drug Abuse • Among teenagers, 7 of the top 10 abused substances are pharmaceuticals. • Between 1997 - 2007, treatment admissions for Rx pain relievers increased more than 400%. • Between 2004-2008, ER visits involving non- medical pain relievers use increased 111%.

12. The New Party Drugs

13. PHARMING A survey of teens by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that: • 1 in 5 teens has tried Vicodin, a powerful and addictive opioid pain reliever. • 1 in 10 has tried OxyContin, another prescription opioid. • 1 in 11 has admitted to getting high on cough medicine.

15. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, pain relievers are the most widely diverted and abused Rx medications. • According to the DEA, controlled pain relievers, tranquilizers, and sedatives are abused primarily by young adults aged 18 to 25 and adolescents (aged 12 to 17). • These Rx drugs include: • Codeine • Oxycodone • Hydrocodone • Fentanyl • Morphine

16. Find out as much as you can. • Learn the facts about illegal drugs. • Learn the facts about prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. • Understand the facts about the legal consequences of drugs.

17. Do You Know These Rx Facts? • You cannot predict the effect that a Rx drug can have on someone. • Abusing or misusing Rx drugs can lead to addiction, impairment, or even death. • Addiction and dependency can be treated, but it is a long and hard process. • It is far better not to start. • There are also legal consequences.

18. It is up to us to learn the facts and become aware. It is up to us to take preventative steps to protect our grandkids, families, and caregivers.

19. Take Preventative Steps • Removedrugs from your medicine cabinet: • Hide them. • Lock them up. • Take them out of your house.

21. Take Preventative Steps • Safeguardall medicines that have to remain at home by: • Monitoring quantities. • Controlling access.

22. Take Preventative Steps • Take inventory: • Write down the names and amounts of medications you currently have. • Regularly check to see if anything is missing. • Don't share your medications.

23. Take Preventative Steps • Warn your grandchildren, family members, and caregivers that taking prescription or OTC drugs without a health care provider's supervision can be just as dangerous and potentially lethal as taking street drugs.

24. Properly dispose of old, expired, or unused medicines.

25. Proper Disposal of Rx Drugs • Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers. • Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as coffee grounds or kitty litter. • Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub or a sealable bag.

26. Proper Disposal of Rx Drugs • Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering with black permanent marker or duct tape or by scratching it off. • Place the sealed container with the mixture and the empty drug containers in the trash.

27. Proper Disposal of Rx Drugs • DO NOT flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specificallyinstructs you to do so. • For information on drugs that should be flushed, visit the FDA website.

28. DRUG DISPOSAL PROGRAMS Community Drug Take-Back Programs Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events

29. Nationwide Rx DrugTake-Back Day 2,992State/Local law enforcement agencies netted more than 121 TONS of medication!!

30. Clark County (OH) Sheriff's Office

31. Clark County (OH) Sheriff's Office

32. Allen, Texas Police Department

33. Cars lined up in Allen, Texas to drop off prescription drugs at a collection site.

35. The Time to Act Is Now! Lock Your Meds BE AWARE. DON'T SHARE.

36. You are the key to your grandchild's,family member's, or caregiver'sdrug-freefuture!

37. For More Information: • National Sheriffs' Association www.sheriffs.org • National Association of Triads, Inc. www.nationaltriad.org • National Family Partnership www.nfp.org www.lockyourmeds.org Sponsored by