Dozens of area residents stopped by the police department’s Brooks Street Substation over the weekend to safely dispose of their unused or old prescription and over-the-counter medications.
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Wake Forest Police Department teamed up with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), D.A.R.E. and Safe Kids North Carolina to sponsor Operation Medicine Drop in Wake Forest.
The disposal event resulted in over 24,000 total dosage units of medication being collected, including 1,717 controlled substances, 14,548 prescription medications, and 7,738 over-the-counter medications. A dosage unit is defined as one pill, one suppository, or one ounce of ointment or cream. Altogether, the total weight of the medications collected Saturday came to just over 53 pounds.
Operation Medicine Drop is designed to prevent accidental poisonings and substance abuse and protect our waters. With unintentional poisoning deaths on the rise in the state, Operation Medicine Drop reminds parents and caregivers to:
- Keep medicines locked up and out of reach of children.
- Always read labels, follow directions and give medicines to children based on their weights and ages. Only use the dispensers packaged with children’s medications.
- Avoid taking medicine or vitamins in front of kids, and don’t call them candy.
- If you suspect poisoning and a child is choking, collapses, can’t breathe or is having a seizure, call 911. Otherwise, take the product to the phone and call the national Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-122.
For more information about Operation Medicine Drop, visit www.ncsafekids.org.