Watch. Drop. Talk.
Prevent Prescription Drug Misuse
Watch
Know what prescriptions are in your house and keep track of how many you have. Keep them in a secure location that only you know about. Keep them somewhere with a lock, if possible. Don’t keep them in the medicine cabinet where anyone in your house can find them.
Drop
Don’t keep unused, unwanted, or expired prescriptions in your home. Drop them at your local prescription drop boxes at your pharmacy or police station for safe disposal, or dispose of them safely at home. Don’t just throw them away or flush them down the toilet (it contaminates our water supply).
Talk
Have intentional conversations about prescription medicines with kids and teens in your life. Teach them they should never share their prescription with someone else, and should never take another person’s prescription medication. Let them know that just because it’s medicine, does not mean it’s harmless. Have these same conversations with your adult friends and family members too.
What's The Problem?
Prescription Drug Misuse in Missouri
According to the Missouri Student Survey of Middle School and High School youth across Missouri, 6.8% of youth reported that in the last 30 days, they had used prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them. This is a trend that is also being seen nationwide as the United States struggles with an opioid epidemic. Prescription drug misuse is very dangerous, and in 2018 alone, close to 15,000 people overdosed on prescription opioids in the United States. State-wide data shows that painkillers are the most commonly misused medications by youth, but sleeping medications, sedatives, and stimulants are also misused. All of these medications can be very dangerous when misused. Remember, prescription medications must only be used exactly as prescribed. They should never be shared. Sharing prescription medications is dangerous and illegal.
