Canadian, Oklahoma (PRWEB) February 27, 2015

Prescription Drug “Take-Back” events are no longer run by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Today, local law enforcement in partnership with local organizations continue to utilize the “Take-Back” guidelines for the proper disposal of controlled substances listed by the FDA.

Eufaula Prescription Drug Disposal Event

The McInstosh County Sheriff’s Department designated 1425 Industrial Drive in Eufaula, Oklahoma as the “Take-Back” site for the safe and responsible disposal of unused, unwanted or expired medication.

Sponsored by the McIntosh County Coalition, Neighbors Building Neighborhoods, McIntosh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Eufaula Pharmacy, the Eufaula Prescription Drug Disposal Event was held on Saturday the 7th of February, 2015. Between the hours of 10 A.M. and 2 P.M, area residents were provided the opportunity to bring any unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications for people-safe and environmentally-safe disposal.

Last year, the Eufaula Prescription Drug Disposal Event took back 12 thousand pills. Although this year’s efforts only yielded 8,000 pills it was still deemed a success.

A Community Effort

A story on the Eufaula Prescription Drug Take-Back event took a front page position in the Indian Journal the week prior to the Valentine’s Day weekend. The Eufaula Indian Journal was founded and published in 1876, and is Oklahoma’s oldest surviving newspaper.

Neighbors Building Neighborhoods of Muskogee hosted a Substance Abuse Committee meeting on February 17th in Checotah, Oklahoma, to discuss the Eufaula “Take-Back” event, and plans for a Checotah Prescription Drug Disposal Event in the not-too-distant future.

The Neighbors Building Neighborhoods (NBN) organization works to build coalitions and to coordinate community efforts on critical community issues. Its Regional Prevention Coordinator (RPC), Jeremy Little, a Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS), is an advocate for the community. RPCs work to reduce substance abuse amongst youth and adults in their community by addressing those factors that may pose a risk of increased substance abuse. Mr. Little stated “ we are using these initial events as a test to see what works and what doesn’t so we can improve our turnout and keep the public better informed on our efforts”.

The McIntosh County Coalition for a Healthy Community, also partnered in the recent Eufaula Prescription Drug Disposal Event. Also known as McCoCo, it was established in 2001 with the purpose of bringing much needed resources to county communities, including a Drug-Free Communities Grant.

The Eufaula Pharmacy serves McIntosh County residents with empathetic and personalized care. It is a hometown store, but provides community residents with a wide range of services frequently only found in larger city-based stores.

The McIntosh County Sheriff’s Department played a key role in hosting the Eufaula Prescription Drug Disposal Event as part of its mission to promote public safety, and implement policies which further that mission. For the first time ever the Sheriff’s office offered a mobile drug take back to handicap people or who otherwise could not make it in to the take back location.

Working Together

McIntosh County community residents who brought prescription medications to the Eufaula “Take-Back” event for proper and safe disposal were entitled to enter to win a digital medication safe storage lock box. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies medication lock boxes as one of the safe and effective means for storage of prescription drugs.

Narconon Arrowhead, the long-term residential drug rehabilitation and education center located just a few miles from Eufaula, fully supports and applauds this highly-effective community effort to collect and dispose of unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications safely and properly. At the event Narconon Arrowhead staff provided literature on the dangers of prescription drug addiction as people came in.

Community residents who participated played a key role, and are to be recognized for their active participation in helping to make a safer and healthier community.

Narconon Arrowhead executives and staff are aware of importance of a cohesive community effort in effectively reducing the misuse and diversion of prescription pills. The center makes its drug prevention education services and materials available to county community groups, schools, residents, parents and youth in support of achieving the shared goal of a safer, happier, healthier and drug-free environment for all.

For more information call 800-468-6933 or go to http://www.narcononarrowhead.org.






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