Credit: Amanda Kuehnle/LevittownNow.com
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 1 in 5 high school students will at some point abuse prescription drugs.
In an effort to bring national focus to the rise of substance abuse, especially among youth, the Bucks County Promise for Youth and Communities, along with several other Bucks organizations took part in National Drug Take Back Day, ordering 28 separate drop off locations throughout Bucks County where residents could anonymously drop off any expired, unwanted or unused prescription drugs.
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The event which took place Saturday was the counties eighth collection since September of 2010. In the last seven collections, over 12 tons of medications have been taken out of circulation, proving an effort which is increasingly successful. (BucksCounty.org)
Saturday area residents gathered at locations across Levittown in an effort to dispose of medications – hoping to keep them out of the hands of teens who may abuse them, in just one day over 6,700 pounds of medications were collected.
While substance abuse for recreational purposes has been a long term issue among teens and young adults, the DEA is becoming increasingly aware that students use prescription drugs as a way to regulate their lives as well. Prescriptions (meant to be administered to other teens) are used by their friends as a way of focusing or concentrating on schoolwork.
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National Drug Take Back Day is a way of taking medications out of circulation safely (without contaminating the drinking water by flushing them down the toilet) and a way of educating the public about the rise and dangers of substance abuse.
All drugs collected through the initiative are sent to the DEA and incinerated.
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Anyone who missed out on the National Drug Take Back Day and has medications they wish to be destroyed safely can click here to find out more information about proper disposal.
