Lubbock County VOICES Coalition, Lubbock Police Department and YWCA have joined together to provide a free location for the citizens of Lubbock county to dispose of unused and expired medications. The prescription drug drop box is designed for year round disposal and will be installed in at the front entrance of the Lubbock Police department Property room. Access to the box will be from 7am-6pm Monday-Friday, 24-hr access will be provided by the front desk officer at Lubbock Police department to help accommodate those citizens that cannot access box Monday-Friday. The box was obtained through a generous donation through YWCA. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony on February 12, 2016. The event will take place at the Lubbock Police Department Property Room located at 816 Texas Ave, Lubbock, Texas.
Prescription drug misuse and abuse is a growing trend in the U.S. with our youth. Both teens and parents in our region share misconceptions concerning misuse and abuse. 16% of parents and 27% of teens believe that using prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs. 33% of teens believe that it is okay to use prescription drugs that are not prescribed to them to deal with injury, illness or pain according to the 2015 Region 1 Needs Assessment. Storing pharmaceuticals that are no longer being used or expired leaves the risk of them getting into the wrong hands. The CDC reports that one person dies every 19 minutes from a drug overdose in the U.S. through prescription pain killers. The installation of the prescription drop box allows citizens of Lubbock to have access to properly disposing of their expired and unused medications. Pills, capsules and patches are accepted with the exception of needles and liquids.
“We want to encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to come to the ribbon cutting ceremony and bring their unused or expired medications.” says Teresa Alvarado, Community Coalition Program Director, “With the number of fatalities from prescription drugs growing, the prescription drop box will also allow us to protect our local youth from potential misuse or abuse while also protecting the environment. Painkillers and other pharmaceutical drugs play an important medical role but their use can have tragic long-term consequences. Implementing the prescription drop-box as well continuing with medication cleanout events will assist our community in providing a safe and drug-free environment for our youth.
The Lubbock County VOICES coalition continues to be actively involved in our community to encourage community collaboration in order to prevent drug use and abuse among youth.
For more information about Lubbock County VOICES Coalition find us on Facebook, Twitter and at starcarelubbock.org/services.
(Press Release by Lubbock County VOICES Coalition/Starcare Specialty Health System)
