Clinton, IA - Clinton and the Clinton County Sherriff's Office, will be coordinating the American Medicine Chest Challenge in Clinton, Camanche and DeWitt.
The event will take place on November 8, 2014 in communities across the country. This initiative will challenge residents to take the Five-Step American Medicine Chest Challenge:
· Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine.
· Secure your medicine chest.
· Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine in your home or at an American Medicine Chest
Challenge Disposal site.
· Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.
· Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
To help combat this growing threat to our nation's children, we are hosting the American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC) on November 8, 2014. Residents can find a local collection site on www.americanmedicinechestchallenge
The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows prescription medicines to be the most abused drugs by Americans, other than marijuana and found that 70% of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives. A recent study on drug use by teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA) found that one in 9 children are abusing prescription pain relievers to get high.
"This Challenge will raise awareness about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and reduce the availability of potent drugs that lead kids down a path to addiction,'' explained American Medicine Chest Challenge Chief Executive Officer Angelo M. Valente.
"With the American Medicine Chest Challenge we are calling on residents to see their medicine cabinets through new eyes -- as an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine by young people," explained Valente.
The American Medicine Chest Challenge has gained the national support of PhRMA, The Partnership at DrugFree.Org, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
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