Kern County Sheriff’s Senior Deputy Richard Garrett and McCASA’s Anne Weber with 14.5 pounds of pills from Medication Take Back Program.
By Gary Meyer
If you never want to read of another drug emergency at the high school or about weekend party deaths and overdoses, you can be a part of the solution. An estimated 6,000 potentially lethal pills were received in just four hours at the first Medication Take Back Day at Frazier Park Market May 8.
Prescription medicines, unused over-the-counter drugs, and pet medications—yes, youth are also using pet meds as recreational drugs—were turned in by the first 15 people.
“Pharming Parties,” at which teens pass candy bowls of prescription meds—grabbing and swallowing unidentified pills obtained mostly from cupboards and medicine cabinets in local homes—have led to near fatal results recently.
Look through your home and bring all unused medications to the next Medication Take Back day, July 17, 10-2 p.m. at Frazier Park Market. Spread the word for others to join the effort. It takes only a few minutes to turn in your unwanted medications before you do your shopping.
McCASA—The Mountain Communities Coalition Against Substance Abuse is working with Kern County Sheriff’s Deputies on the project. The pharmaceuticals will be incinerated by a contractor in Los Angeles.
Drugs Collected by McCASA May 8
- Advil
- Alprazolam
- Amoxicillian
- Arthrotec
- Atenolol
- Baclofen
- Bayer Asprin
- Bene-Bac Animal Gel
- Bisacodyl
- Balance
- Cefuroxime Axetil
- Celebrex
- Cephalexin
- Cimetidine
- Clindamycin HCL
- Colestid Granules
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Cyclomen
- Detrol
- Diazepam
- Doxycycline Hyclate
- Dry Eye Relief
- Efudex
- Exidine
- Famotidine
- Ferrous Sulfate
- Fish Oil
- Fluorouracil
- Gabapentin
- Gemfibrozil
- Gentak Sol
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hydrocodine
- Hydrocodone
- Lantus
- Lidocain
- Lisinopril
- Lomotil
- Metoclopramide
- Mycocide
- Naproxen
- Nasonex
- Noroxin
- Oxybutynin Chloride
- Pioglitazone HCL
- Piroxicam
- Pravastatin
- Predisine
- Prednisolone
- Prilosec
- Promethazine Codeine
- Quinine Sulfate
- Relafen (Nabumetone)
- Reglan
- Spironolactone
- SSKI (Potassium Iodide)
- Sudafed PE
- Tazorac
- Tramadol
- Triamcinolone Acetonide
- Tylenol
- Uroxatral
- Ventolin Inhaler
- Zantac
This is part of the May 14, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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