The American Medicine Chest Challenge

Every day I read new information regarding the abuse of prescription medications - prescription pain killers in particular. Parents must be aware of this very serious issue and take precautions not to end up being the neighborhood drug dealer because of ignorance.

Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) is calling the abuse of prescription pain relievers an epidemic. The American Medicine Chest Challenge(AMCC), a public health initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, will hold a historic and lifesaving event on November 12, 2011 in communities throughout the United States.

Take the AMCC 5-Step Challenge:

1. Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine.

Keep a written inventory in a place seperate from your medications. Write down how many pills are in each bottle. Each time you take a pill update the amount of pills on your inventory sheet.

2. Secure your medicine.

Keep your medication locked up and out of the reach of those who might abuse it. Visit OTCsafety.org for more information.

3. Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine.

DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain.

Be proactive and dispose of unused medication in household trash. When discarding unused medications, ensure you protect children and pets from potentially negative effects:

• Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add water to dissolve it.
• Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and kids to eat) to the plastic bag.
• Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.

Remove and destroy ALL identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.

4. Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.

Be sure to read the instructions that are given to you by the pharmacist before you start taking medication(s). If you need further instructions on how to take your medication(s) call your pharmacist or the doctor who prescribed the medication.

5. Talk to your kids about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

For more information and tips on how to talk to your kids visit The Partnership at DrugFree.Org, NIDA, andStopMedicinceAbuse.com.

According to the CDC the death toll from overdoses of prescription painkillers has more than tripled in the past decade and more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers obtained them from friends or relatives, and, there has been a 400% increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for people abusing prescription drugs.

The only way to stop this epidemic from spreading is to get educated!  Prescription drug abuse is 100% preventable.

Jenn Smith is the mom of a teen who hasn't lost her mind, but frequently can't find it. She likes AC/DC and Justin Bieber and doesn't care who knows it! She blogs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.