Tips for Keeping Your Child Healthy & Safe

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	Operation Medicine Drop
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Poison Education and Prevention

Speak Up Campaign

Common Symptoms

KidsHealth

Operation Medicine Drop

Nearly nine million 12-17 year olds can get prescription drugs in a day and 5 million within one hour. -National Center on Addiction and Drug Use, Columbia University. Prescription drugs access also plays a role in unintentional poisonings from overdosing in children and adults and can be a source for attempting suicides in young and old alike. In fact, in 2005, unintentional poisoning was second to only motor vehicle crashes as the cause of unintentional injury death. And among people 35 to 54 years old, unintentional poisoning caused more deaths than motor vehicle crashes. (CDC 2008)
Prescription drugs are one piece of the picture.

The home is the prime place prescription drugs are accessed by children and teenagers. In fact, the Center on Addiction and Drug Use, latest 2009 poll of teenagers nationwide shows that one-third of the teenagers get the drugs in their own home and another third from friends whom get them from their house.

Locally, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Harris Teeter Stores have partnered to provide a venue to dispose of those unused prescription medications. The first Operation Medicine Drop was conducted in Mecklenburg County, in March of this year at 6 sites collecting anywhere from 10,000 to 16,000 doses at each site. The second one will be held October 17^th from 10-3 at four Harris Teeter Sites:

Southpark - Morrocroft Village, 6701 Morrison Blvd.
Mt. Island Marketplace - 3540 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road
Quail Corners Shopping Center - 8538 Park Road
Old Towne Mall - 4100 Carmel Road

Those in Union County can drop their medications off October 3^rd from 11-3 at the Wal Mart in Monroe or Indian Trail.

If you are unable to attend the next operation medicine drop event, please properly dispose of medications following the guidelines outlined on the following attachment: Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs

Your help in spreading the word is appreciated. Click here to download and print a flyer.