Crime & Safety

Macomb County Takes in 1,134-Pound Haul of Drugs

Since 2011, 'Take Back' initiatives have removed and properly disposed of about 2.5 tons of expired or unneeded medications.

The Macomb County Anti-Drug Coalition and local law enforcement accepted more than 1,134 pounds of old medications at 10 sites on Oct. 26, bringing to 2.5 tons (about 4,521 pounds) the amount of old prescription drugs taken out of area medicine cabinets since the project began in September 2011.

The event helps keep potentially harmful drugs out of the hands of youths who may run across them in their parents’ and grandparents’ medicine chests, Dawn Radzioch, prevention coordinator for Macomb County Community Mental Health- Office of Substance Abuse and Chair of the Macomb Prevention Network, said in a news release.

“When youth and young adults have access and their perception of risk/harm is low

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they are more likely to use drugs,” she said. “Therefore, as a method to combat this growing problem, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) created this initiative and now schedules two ‘Take Back’ events per year.”

Additionally, this national campaign informs citizens that it is important to remove these medications from circulation and properly dispose of them. These events dramatically reduce the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, while increasing awareness of this public health issue.

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Radzioch shared the following statistics:

One in seven teens in the United States reports having abused prescription drugs to “get high”.

More than 60 percent of teens say prescription drugs are easy to get from the home  medicine cabinets, the homes of relatives or from friends.

Improperly disposed medications are being found in the waterways and landfills across the country, making this a health concern for everyone.

How to get involved: Individuals are encouraged to join a local anti-drug coalition and help their communities stay healthy. Get a list of Macomb County sites here. There are also a number of year-round collection sites in Macomb County, including the 12 police departments in the county. Site listings are found here.

Additional information is available by calling Radzich at (586) 469-5278.




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