Old Drugs? Drug Take Back Nov. 13

What do you do with old or unused prescription medications? In order to keep our water supply and land clean, prescription drugs must be disposed of in a environmentally friendly manner. To prevent the misuse of the drugs, they must be either locked up or disposed of properly.

On November 13, CHILL, HEY! and the Drug Task Force will be joining with the Martinsville City Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff's Office and the Henry/Martinsville Health Department to "take back" those unwanted drugs off your hands and out of the hands of others. HEY and CHILL are working with other community anti-drug coalitions across the state and nation who are also participating in this event called the American Medicine Cabinet Challenge.

Officials say program will help prevent pill abuse and theft. Left over medicines are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, and even from the home medicine cabinet. 1 in 5 teens say they have used prescription drugs to get high.

According to the DEA, in 2009, seven million Americans ages 12 years and older abused prescription drugs and every day, an average of 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time.

DEA reports one to seven teens admit to abusing prescription drugs to get high this past year, and 63 percent of teens believe prescription drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs.

Bring your old or unwanted prescription drugs to the Health Department on Commonwealth Blvd. on Saturday, November 13 from 10 am until 2 pm. Keep the water and soil from contamination and the community safer from misuse of old medicines.