Health & Fitness
Drug Collection was a Great Success
216 volunteers made a difference by collecting 4,596 pounds of expired and unwanted medications, keeping them out of our environment and out of the hands of our youth.
Despite the very miserable weather on Saturday, 216 volunteers braved the cold and rain to help rid our community of expired and unwanted medications which may otherwise have been tossed, or flushed, contributing to toxins in our waters or worse, finding their way into the hands of our youth.
A total of 4,596 pounds of medications was collected at the six sites across Waukesha County. The Brookfield site collected more than any other site for the third year in a row collecting 1,206 pounds. THANK YOU to all that helped and THANK YOU to all who participated. THANK YOU for making a difference!
Facts parents need to be aware of:
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- Teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana.
- The majority of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them easily and for free, primarily from friends and relatives.
- Teens also abuse OTC cough and cold remedies to get high.
- 13 is the mean age of first non-prescribed use of sedatives and stimulants. 60% of teens (12-17) who have abused prescription painkillers first tried them before age 15.
- Prescription drug abuse is the gateway to heroin addiction.
Parents are in a unique position to dramatically reduce teen access to prescription drugs because they are found in the home. Keep current medications in a secure location. Lock up unused medications until the next Drug Collection. And very important, talk to your kids about prescription drugs as well as other illicit drug use. Statistics tell us that youth whose parents express strong disapproval of drug use are far less likely to engage in substance use.
Keep talking......
