Responsibility
“A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for it.” ~President Thomas Jefferson
As a society, we collectively decide what we accept as normal, what is moral, and what is right. Once society has determined what we collectively agree is the right thing to do, then we must stand up for that belief in order for that belief to be sustainable. If we all agree that drug use and addiction is morally wrong, then we as individuals must take responsibility to do our part in making that belief stand and endure. Saturday, October 27, 2018, is National Drug Take Back Day…a day set aside for all of us to get unused prescription drugs out of our homes and to have them safely disposed of. Many places are open 24 hours a day like your local police station, but some collection point will only be in operation between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm, so check your local collection point for times. Unused prescription medication is the second most used form of drug abuse of high school seniors according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. As our nation is faced with an Opioid crisis on an unprecedented scale, we each must do our own part to help prevent unused medication from falling into the wrong hands and for the wrong purposes.
The following excerpt is from the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care.
It is common for clients to have many unused prescription medications in their homes and many clients do not know how to properly dispose of them. Saturday is National Drug Takeback Day and there are locations throughout the state that will accept drugs and dispose of them properly. Help clients and their families to properly dispose of medications by informing them of this event.
What To Do With Unwanted and Expired Medicine
There are several options for properly disposing of unwanted and expired medications for the Best Home Care Services service area:
Fayette County
Connersville Police Department
100 E. 5th St.
Connersville, IN 47331
765-825-2111
Franklin County
Franklin County Sheriff’s Department
371 Main Street
Brookeville, IN 47012
765-647-4138 or 812-574-4080 24-Hour
Franklin County Government Center (Health Dept. & SWMD)
1010 Franklin Ave, Rm 210
Brookeville, IN 47012
765-647-4322 or 812-574-4080 M-F, 8:30am-4:00pm
Rush County
Rush County Sheriff’s Department
131 East 1st St
Rushville, IN 47179
765-932-2931 24-Hour
Rushville Police Department
270 W 15th Street
Rushville, IN 47179
765-932-3907 24-Hour
Union County
Union county Sheriff’s Department
106 E Union Street
Liberty, IN 47353
765-458-5194
Union County Health Department
6 W South Street #2
Liberty, IN 47353
765-458-5393
Wayne County
Richmond Police Department
50 N 5th Street
Richmond, IN 46347
765-983-7200
For other locations around the state of Indiana, please follow the following link.
https://www.in.gov/bitterpill/files/Take_Back_Web_List_2_17_16.pdf
For all other areas around the country, please go to the DEA link and type in your zip code to find the closest collection point for your area.
Remember, it is illegal to give controlled substances to anyone other than a police officer or a person who is under law enforcement supervision. All programs that accept controlled substances must be operated under the supervision of law enforcement.
Why Should I Dispose of Medicine Properly?
Unwanted and expired medicine may be a risk to human health and the environment if disposed of improperly.
Wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to deal with pharmaceutical waste. Many medicines pass through the systems and are released into streams, lakes, and groundwater.
How Does Medicine Affect the Environment?
Medicine in surface water may cause adverse effects in fish and other aquatic wildlife, as well as unintentional human exposure to chemicals in the medicine. Technological improvements are helping scientists detect trace amounts of medicine in surface water and study how it affects human and environmental health, but the research is just beginning.
U.S. Geological Survey research found that some aquatic organisms living in waters downstream from wastewater treatments plants are showing signs of developmental and reproductive problems. Researchers are working to determine whether these impacts are the effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment.
I am asking and encouraging you to take responsibility and action to help minimize the availability of medication for unintended use. If you have unused medication in your home, please take a moment and drop it off at your local collection location for safe disposal. As we ease closer to the end of October, enjoy the fall weather and take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com