BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) has launched the “Lock Your Meds” media campaign, a national multi-media campaign designed to reduce prescription drug abuse.
Lock Your Meds is a call to action for all parents and families to take a stand against the alarming increase in prescription drug abuse. Because 70 percent of prescription drug abusers report getting the drugs from their friends and families, these “unwitting suppliers” can be a force in curbing the abuse.
The campaign, produced by the National Family Partnership, makes adults aware that they are the “unwitting suppliers” of prescription medications being used in unintended ways, especially by young people.
BAPC Director Beth Shrader explains that, “by collaborating with community partners, we can take this opportunity to prevent prescription drug misuse and enlist parents and caregivers in being part of the solution.”
Every day, more than 4,000 young people begin experimenting with prescription drugs nationally and the number of admissions to treatment facilities has increased fourfold in the last 10 years, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
To help parents and concerned community members, BAPC will be distributing Lock Your Meds kits to area health providers, pharmacies and organizations. The campaign website (www.lockyourmeds.org) includes easy-to-use resources, such as a home medicine inventory card and guidelines on how to properly dispose of prescription medicine. Parents can take a stand against prescription drug abuse by signing a pledge and sharing their message with friends and family.
For more information on prescription drug abuse or to download Lock Your Meds materials, visit www.BrattleboroAreaPreventionCoalition.org.