RED MED BOX
Beginning August 1, 2012, Calhoun County residents will be able to regulary dispose of expired and unwanted medications at 7 locations, preventing prescription drug abuse, accidental overdose, and environmental pollution.
Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem. 2010 Monitoring the Future data indicates about 5% of 12th grade students have used OxyContin and 2.5% have used Ritalin. Locally, middle school students use higher levels of prescription drugs and painkillers without a doctor’s prescription than high school students. National data from SAMSHA attributes these trends to the ease in access to prescription and over-the-counter medications from family members and friends. For more information on prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse in Calhoun County, visit the Substance Abuse Council’s Outcomes Data Pages.
The Substance Abuse Council encourages the residents of Calhoun County to help prevent prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse, accidental overdoses, and environmental pollution by taking advantage of the free disposal services available with Red Med boxes. To find a location near you, download, print and share a RED MED BOX location flyer, by clicking here.
RED MED boxes will accept:
- expired/unwanted medications (black out personal information with a permanent marker or remove labels)
- over-the-counter medications
- medication samples
- pet medications
Contact Household Hazardous Waste at (269) 969-6341 to dispose of the items RED MED cannot accept listed below:
- medicated ointments, lotions or drops
- unopened epi-pens
- liquid medications
- needles, lancets, syringes, or other “sharps”
- thermometers
- IV bags
- inhalers
- bloody or infectious waste
- hydrogen peroxide
- business waste (nursing or group homes)
- empty containers
- personal care products (shampoos, etc.)
The Substance Abuse Council thanks Summit Pointe and Wal Mart for their sponsorship of the Red Med Box project as well as State Representative Kate Segal and local law enforcement for their support and collaborative efforts with the Substance Abuse Council to help reduce and prevent medicine abuse in Calhoun County with these permanent disposal services.
